Fixing What Wasn't Broken
by chel567
Summary: Fixing a friendship that was never really damaged in the first place.
1. Chapter 1

**Happy New Years, Friends! Thank you to everyone who commented on my Mixed Signals little blurb. It was just something that came to me quickly and I cranked it out very quickly. A PM from a member got me to take a new approach to some stories, so I'm working on some other things! This, however, I wrote a looong time ago and wanted to proofread it and share it just for the heck of it. It's not very long, so forgive me!**

 **One of my pet peeves is when there are false details in stories - despite it being fiction and our own universe, I still prefer to keep things as realistic as possible. I am guilty of using false details in this story though, so I apologize! In this story Tris is a professional athlete yet still able to compete in NCAA, which is of course NOT allowed. But I felt it made the story better, so I wrote it how I wanted (and personally, how I think it should be for gymnasts.)**

* * *

Tris stands on the spring board and reaches out for the beam in front of her. She grips it using precision and strength, pushing her body up and bringing her legs up into a straddle, briefly holding it, and then pushing her lower body up above her head and into a handstand. The strain on her muscles was familiar and comforting. She holds the handstand for a moment before easing her legs down one at a time and standing on the thin, solid beam. She walks across it slowly, then spins around twice, bringing her arms up around her for balance.

Her movements on the beam are fluid and natural, and although she longs to flip from one end to the other, she doesn't dare attempt in an empty gym with no spotter. She settles for a few jumps, leaping into a tuck and then a split leap with a full turn. The thrill makes her heart swell and she knows she has to stop herself before her longing takes control and she begins throwing out tricks her body isn't accustomed to. Instead, she dances across the beam, holding simple poses and easing her body down to feel the familiar beam on her thighs as her body moved along it.

She hops off the beam with sadness in her eyes, and slowly makes her way to the gym door so she can retrieve her things from the office. In the lobby she passes the large white banner with her photo and name, announcing that Tris Prior is joining the gymnastics coaching staff at Dauntless, the gym that her friends Will and Christina run. It stands out ridiculously against the black walls that line the entire complex. She'd laughed when Christina had shown it to her, saying she'd never seen her face that large before. In all reality, she was almost sure she'd seen it much larger on billboard and signs and advertisements, but she wasn't expecting Christina, her friend and former teammate, to make such a big spectacle out of Tris beginning to work with them, even though it would be good for business.

The gym is part of a larger building, a fitness complex that houses therapy offices and a spa, as well as various other sport arenas. A man owns the entire building, but Christina and Will rent the gym space, as do the coaches of other sports that have claimed this as their training area. There are two ice rinks, one used for hockey and the other used for figure skating, along with several gyms that are used for basketball and volleyball, among other sports. An indoor track and a fieldhouse lie on the opposite side of the complex, so Tris has yet to venture to that side, as this is only her second week in her new coaching position. Christina has become friends with the figure skating coach, Shauna, but Tris hasn't met anyone else in the building, and the reason for that is that she sneaks into the gym and stays late, toying around on the apparatuses that feel like home.

Up in the viewing box, Tobias is sweeping the floor and picking up any leftover garbage or personal items, which is part of their deal with Amar, their coach and also the owner of the building. In exchange for low team fees, he asks them to help out doing odd jobs around the gym after practice, and because many of the guys can't afford the high level instruction and competition they get from Amar, they all agree. He doesn't mind cleaning the viewing box because it's typically one of the cleaner areas in the complex. It's occupied mostly by parents, and they are pretty good about picking up after themselves. The only downfall is that it's the viewing room for the gymnastics training room, and he doesn't particularly enjoy the memories it invokes.

He does a double take when he catches a flash of a blonde ponytail down in the gym, as a slender body spins around on the beam. The team is supposed to be done, so he's slightly confused why someone is in there. He leans forward, towards the window, to get a better look, concerned it's a gymnast practicing alone or someone who is unauthorized to be in there. But as he looks closer, he gets a clear picture of her. Although the woman continues to move quickly into leaps across the small surface, he's almost positive the woman down there is Tris Prior.

Tobias feels like he's intruding on something intimate, when she pauses and he finally gets to see the emotional look on her face. He looks back at the floor, continuing his task and hoping that he will get finished and catch her in the hallway. When he suddenly hears the click of the gym doors, he gathers his things and rushes out of the room, only to be greeted by empty hallways every where he turns. He must have missed her.

When he sees the large banner with her picture on it, he sighs, knowing that he'll have another chance, now that she's returned. And this time, he won't miss it.

* * *

Two more weeks pass before Tobias happens to run into Tris at the gym. He hadn't caught her practicing again, but even if he had, it wouldn't have been the appropriate time to approach her. He could tell that she picked that time to be in the gym because it was empty, and he wanted her to continue to keep it private if that was what she wished. When he sees her this time, he's waiting for Amar outside of his office, hoping to discuss the upcoming game schedule they have. As captain, part of Tobias's job is coordinate schedules and make sure everyone is able to attend the games and practices scheduled. If not, he adjusts them accordingly with Amar.

Playing hockey has always been all Tobias ever wanted. What neglected, angry kid wouldn't want to take out his physical aggression in a way that was not only condoned, but also rewarded? From day one, he'd always been one of the toughest kids on the ice, playing relentlessly. It was rewarding to escape the house, where his parents were always fighting, and move fast on the ice, knocking over anyone who got in his way.

His final reward was a college scholarship, bringing him to Chicago to play at Divergent University, alongside his now best friend, Zeke and later, Zeke's younger brother, Uriah. Although he had hoped to play professionally, it just didn't seem to be in the cards for him, but he couldn't give up playing. He had been recruited by Amar, along with his friends, to play for his adult team. The schedule wasn't as hectic, and Tobias enjoyed chasing his dreams of hockey while also pursuing his career in marketing.

He hears the door to Amar's office open, and he can hear Amar's firm, calm voice. "It was great to meet you, Ms. Prior. Welcome to Dauntless Training Center."

Tris is at the door, holding it open as she waits to leave. "You, too. I appreciate that." She offers Amar a soft smile as she begins to move through the doorway, but stops when she raises her head and her gaze meets Tobias's.

He's frozen, unaware that Tris had been the one behind the door with his coach.

"Tobias?" she asks softly with a shy smile. "I didn't know you work here."

Tobias returns her smile, but it's much wider because he's not holding back his excitement. "I train here, with Amar actually." He gestures towards the office. "But it's really good to see you. I was hoping to run into you when I heard you were coming here."

"It's… been a while," she agrees.

She's almost about to speak again when Amar comes to the door way, beckoning Tobias inside. "Come in, Tobias," Amar calls to him, and Tobias begins to move from his chair.

"We should get together sometime," he blurts out nervously, knowing this could be his only chance. "Catch up."

Tris smiles at him and he thinks he just might see a tint of blush rise in her cheeks. For someone that's spent so many years in the spotlight, Tris is still shy and uncomfortable in certain situations. "I would really like that."

He returns the smile, relaxing at her response, and begins to make his way into the office, but she spins around, following him. "What time are you finished here today?"

He's taken aback at her boldness. The Tris from his past would have waited until he made arrangements to see her, down to the very detail. "My practice is over at 6."

She nods. "I'll see you then."

* * *

In the locker room, Tobias is changing and sorting through his gear when Zeke approaches. He nods a greeting as he returns to his task, but Zeke initiates a conversation as he pulls out his own gear, tossing things into his locker as he speaks.

"Wanna grab dinner tonight?" he asks. "Shauna's got a late practice."

"I'm your back up these days?" Tobias teases.

Months ago, Zeke had absently used the figure skating rink one day to do a cardio skating workout because the hockey rink was taken. Shauna, the figure skating coach, had verbally ripped him a new one when she walked in with one of her skaters and saw him zooming around the rink. She was so angry, so flustered, that when she finished and Zeke asked her if he could take her to dinner to apologize, she'd yelled, "Yes!", when she'd meant to yell no.

He somehow made her believe that she had to hold true to her first answer, and she did. That night turned into the first of many dates, which led to where Zeke is now, spending almost all of his free time with Shauna and still fitting in a guys' night each week.

Zeke chuckles at Tobias's response. "Sorry, man. I just figured we've both been busy and this was a good time."

"I get it, man. But actually, I'm getting together with Tris." Getting together? Were those the right words? It wasn't a date, so they weren't going out, right? Tobias's mind churns over the possibilities.

Zeke raises an eyebrow. "No shit? I knew she was coming back, but I didn't want to bring it up if you guys didn't talk."

Tobias shakes his head. "She seemed almost... happy… to see me."

Zeke smiles. "Well, have a good night, man." He pauses a minute before looking back at Tobias. "You'll let me know how it goes, right?"

Tobias laughs, because Zeke knows he's a private person and he's never shared details about Tris with Zeke. "Maybe."

As Tobias prepares for practice, stretching his tight muscles to warm up, his mind wanders to his college memories. He and Tris had developed an unexpected friendship, meeting their freshman year at an event for student athletes. Eric, a senior on his hockey team had commented how the 'stuck up gymnastics team' usually didn't attend these events, but Tobias found himself impressed by the way they carried their muscular, toned bodies. His hockey teammates sat around talking and laughing, while Tobias leaned back in his chair and mostly observed the conversations of others. Some of them caught up with friends from other sports, and some of them pointed out the attractive female athletes that were filling into the room.

Of course he knew who Tris was. At 17, she had competed in the summer Olympics just a year ago, winning the bronze all around and two individual event medals, a gold and a silver. While most people expected her to continue to train and compete at the national level, Tris had also shocked everyone by signing to compete for Divergent University. Tobias had never really watched gymnastics, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't somewhat intrigued by Tris attending the same university as him.

Many of the upperclassmen athletes at the event were already friends, but Tobias, not being the most social person, hung back and let Zeke, his new talkative roommate, do the socializing. As he wandered aimlessly around the room, he noticed Tris doing the same thing, and hesitated slightly before approaching her.

She was leaning back against a wall a few feet away from a table full of gymnasts, who spoke mostly amongst themselves. She was thin, but toned, and as he neared her he realized how petite her body really was. Her skinny jeans hugged her body, but her shirt hung somewhat loosely around her small frame.

"Hey," he had greeted her. "Tobias." He stuck his hand out towards her and she had accepted it.

Her smile had been warm and genuine, like she appreciated his gesture. "Tris."

"I'm not really a social butterfly, if you can't tell," he said as he nodded towards the large groups of people in rambunctious conversations.

She had laughed at his comparison of himself to a butterfly, but agreed. "Me too. It's all a little overwhelming." The confession shocked Tobias, sure that an Olympic medalist couldn't be intimidated by a bunch of college kids. But she had continued. "I don't really think anyone cares to get to know me, ya know?"

"I do." It had slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it, and he wasn't even quite sure what made him say it. But Tris had just nodded him over to where she leaned against the wall. He joined her, facing the room and the two of them had made small talk, the typical college questions everyone has asked each other. Where are you from? What sport do you play? What's your major? Who's your roommate?

They had discovered they had three classes together, which turned out to be helpful throughout the semester. When one of them was gone from class, they'd share their notes, telling the other what they missed while they were gone. They usually walked across campus together from one building to another, but Tobias quickly learned how hectic and brutal Tris's training schedule was. He knew about early practices from his own experience, but Tris practiced 6 days a week, from 5-8 am and then again after class, from 4-9. The other gymnasts trained hard, but they were a bit more flexible with their schedules, as Tobias occasionally saw them at sporting events or parties. But Tris had been different, and although there were a few times Tobias had invited her places, she usually frowned an apology and told him how she really had to work on her new bar release move, or her beam dismount had been shaky. He would smile knowingly and shrug it off, admiring her dedication but missing her company when the event rolled around and there was no one worth talking to.

Christina, her roommate and teammate, was the one who finally talked her into attending a hockey game one day, and they sat in the student section. Tris had looked extremely uncomfortable, like she wasn't quite sure she belonged there. Tobias had been thrilled, flashing her a gorgeous smile the moment he saw her, and the relaxation that it brought her was visible. Afterward, she had waited for him, throwing her arms around his torso when she saw him. "That was amazing!" She had exclaimed. "What a rush!" He had hugged her back, and that was the first meaningful physical contact he could remember having with her. They left together in her car, driving back to the student-athlete dorms and chatting the whole way. Tris had made Tobias promise he would come see her compete one day, because she felt like she learned so much about him from watching him on the ice.

He didn't get the opportunity until the spring time, when a meet was held at their school and he didn't have hockey practice. He hadn't realized how long gymnastics meets were, how many events each athlete had to do, but it had been well worth it when he saw Tris warming up for her beam routine. When she began, he was mesmerized by the strength and grace her body could display simultaneously, the way her movements seemed calculated yet effortless. He didn't really understand how the scoring in gymnastics worked, miniscule deductions being taken for flaws he didn't even notice. He simply knew her scores were high, and every time she approached a new apparatus, he found himself feeling shock and awe at her performance.

While other gymnasts were performing, he didn't take his eyes off of her, noting how she was poised and calm the entire meet. She seemed to always be preparing for her next event, earbuds in and her body constantly moving to stay warm. Each apparatus she moved to just impressed him further, and although he wanted to wait for her after the meet, she had texted him telling him she'd meet him for dinner instead. The cool down and re-hash of the meet apparently took a lot longer than a hockey game.

When she'd met him for dinner in the student cafeteria, she'd showered and was wearing leggings and a long sleeved tunic, followed by tennis shoes. She looked every bit athletic as she did when she was on the floor, and he didn't hesitate to tell her. "That was incredible," was all he could get out.

"Have you ever watched gymnastics before?" she'd asked.

"On TV, but that's not the same. You're explosive and graceful and so many things all at once." He realized his compliments after he said them, but she was smiling hearing them.

"Thanks," she'd blushed, and he didn't understand her reaction to that compliment, because she heard every day, from people all over the world, how incredible of a gymnast she was. She'd gone on to tell him that she'd had to dodge her coach, saying she really needed to study and get some sleep tonight, and he reluctantly agreed to let her do so instead of eating with him. Although she was on the college team, her personal coach still attended practice and meets and never let her training plan vary from his.

"Nationals are over the summer," she'd confessed. "Will you watch?"

He smiled at her. "If you want me to."

"I'd like that. Knowing someone's cheering for me. Someone who cares about me." She'd confided in him about her family earlier in the year, although the basics of the story were already public knowledge. Tris's parents and brother had been killed in a car accident when she was 15, leaving her without family, or anywhere to go. Her coach had stepped in, gaining guardianship of her and taking her in. While she was extremely grateful, she often wondered what would have happened to her if she hadn't somehow already been a world class gymnast. What if she would have been just another girl?

She shared these things with Tobias only occasionally, but he didn't doubt that he was her closest confidant. "Sometimes, I feel like I can't say anything negative, ever. I have a lot to be thankful for, and I don't want people to think I'm ungrateful or stuck up," she had confessed to him once outside of the building their economics class had been in. "I'm really grateful you're such a good friend."

The words had warmed Tobias in a way he didn't know was possible, and he was also thankful for the companionship he felt with Tris. As much as she opened up to him, he opened up to her right back, sharing details about his home and his family that he didn't share with anyone except Zeke. He was just as thankful as she was, in many ways.

* * *

Christina and Will stand on one end of the gym, observing the three senior level gymnasts that were currently training with them. Elise, Jamie, and Chelsie were rising stars in the elite scene, and just teenagers. Christina and Will were hoping that they'd be the next big thing.

When Tris looked at them, she wasn't sure how they spent all day coaching together and still went home together and hadn't killed each other yet. Christina was boisterous and stubborn, while Will was more calculated and rational. Perhaps opposites really did attract.

Aside from being an assistant coach, Tris was hired to choreograph all routines for both elite levels, junior and senior. The juniors were still elite level gymnasts, but not old enough or ready enough to move into senior level competition yet. She was spotting a young girl named Reagan on the beam when Christina was suddenly next to her. "Do you want to stay later today and work with the seniors a little bit?"

Tris glanced over at her, rolling her eyes. "You said my main job was choreography," she spits sarcastically. When Christina had offered her the job, she'd made a goofy point to tell her that she wasn't going to be stealing Christina's star pupils, although it was all in good fun.

Christina elbows her in the side. "I think they're really excited to be around you. The American Cup is coming up, and I really want to give them some motivation."

Tris smiles at the mention of one of her favorite meets. "I normally wouldn't have a problem with it, but I actually ran into Tobias, and I'm meeting him after his practice." She glanced at Christina out of the corner of her eye, waiting for her response.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure if I should tell you he comes here."

"Why?" Her brow furrows, wondering what Christina knows that Tris doesn't.

She sees Christina shrug a shoulder cautiously. "I just know you guys didn't really keep in touch… and I wasn't sure what the terms were."

Tris feels the pang of guilt she always does when she thinks of Tobias. "There weren't any."

"What's that mean?"

"It means we just… sort of… stopped. I had a lot going on." She closes her eyes briefly, willing away the memories. "Reagan, keep your arms strong. Point your toe on that last jump."

"Tris, I'm sorry," Christina begins, seeing the emotion creeping up on her old friend. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

Tris waves her off, wanting the conversation to end so she doesn't have to keep thinking about it. "It's fine. I'll stay another day, ok?"

Nervousness across her face, Christina nods and puts a hand on Tris's shoulder, but doesn't speak again before she leaves her side and crosses the gym again.

* * *

That night, Tris doesn't get to practice herself because the seniors are still on the floor, and she's leaving to meet Tobias. She wanders around the complex, following the signs for hockey rink and then walking down a few halls before she thinks she finds the locker room. Hoping she's correct, she sits on a bench nearby, leaning against the back.

She pulls her smartphone out of her pocket, checking her email to pass the time. There's some new correspondence from her agent, who surprisingly is understanding about the change of pace Tris is trying to take with her life. He's forwarded her a request to speak to a group of low-income, at risk students with the subject line reading, 'I think you'll go for this one,' and she quickly reads the details and sends back an agreeable response, then puts the date in her phone calendar so she can mark it in her planner when she gets home.

She scrolls through her personal Facebook page, which uses a fake name and is only visible to her close friends. It crosses her mind that she never thought to look up Tobias, even though she'd thought of him so many times since they'd lost touch. She wondered what she would learn about him in the years they spent apart, but knows she would rather hear anything from him when he's ready to tell it.

And just like that, she hears the locker room doors bang open and rambunctious guys exit from it, talking and laughing while their wet hair shines from the lights above them. She tries not to look too excited as she searches their faces for Tobias's, but instead is met with another familiar face.

"Tris?" Zeke asks, his brow furrows as he studies her.

"Hi, Zeke," she says as she stands from the bench.

He stops walking when he reaches her, and they awkwardly look away from each other. "I didn't know you trained here, too," she finally says.

Zeke nods. "Yeah, I'm, uh, on the same team as Tobias."

"I guess Christina doesn't really tell me anything," she chuckles, remembering their conversation from earlier. "I'm just waiting for-"

He cuts her off. "Yeah I know. He should be out in another minute or two."

She widens her eyes in discomfort. "Oh ok. Thanks."

"It's uh, good to see you, Tris," Zeke says awkwardly before he takes a few steps backward. "Have a good time tonight."

She nods, thanking him and wishing him the same, but secretly wishes someone would have prepared her for that conversation even if it was amiable. She didn't dislike Zeke at all; they'd been somewhat friends during college. But she knew that his distaste for her grew when she left, and when she and Tobias lost contact there was no reason for Zeke to still favor her over any other random girl. She knew she broke Tobias's heart, and he knew it too.

Just then, she hears the locker room doors swing open again, and Tobias looks even more handsome than he did the day he approached her 8 years ago. His body has matured and filled out, defined but still natural looking under the short sleeved T shirt he wears. His hands are stuffed into his jeans pocket, and the gym bag slung across his chest moves a little as he walks, rubbing against what she's sure are toned thighs and even more toned ass.

She can feel herself starting to blush, so she stops drinking him in and instead forces her eyes to look into his blue ones, smiling at the fact that he's in her presence. He stops walking when he reaches her, and neither of them say anything for a moment, and she melts as he returns her soft expression.

"Come on," he finally says, nodding towards the doors that lead to the parking garage. "I'm starving."

Tobias doesn't select a restaurant, instead parking his car in a small lot and leading her towards a park that's filled with trucks in different colors, with different aroma's wafting from them. The high buildings of the city tower over the small grassy area as if it's a hidden gem among the fancy architecture of the city.

"Food trucks?" she asks, because she's unsure. She's never ate from one before, partially because of the strict eating regimen she's always been on, and partially because she's afraid of how dirty they could be.

Tobias groans, and she chuckles at his response. "You've never ate at one, have you?"

"No, but I will, so calm yourself down." She puts a hand on his arm as she speaks, but then realizes what she's doing and pulls it away. "What do you suggest?"

He points to a few of them, describing their menus and adding in which one he prefers. "You might like that one, they have wraps and vegetables that aren't fried." She looks at him in surprise as he recalls her typical meals. "If you still eat that stuff," he adds uncomfortably.

"I'll get whatever you get, and I promise I'll eat the whole thing." She looks at him boldly, waiting for him to tease her or say she's bluffing, but she isn't. Part of the positives of retiring has been not having to stick to the same foods all of the time, and she's enjoyed trying things that she never got to as a teenager and young adult. Like wine. That was one of her first guilty pleasures after she stopped grilling herself with three times a day practices.

"I'll hold you to that," he says as he leads her over to a truck and Tris laughs at the name.

"We're eating at the Fat Shallot? Really?" She raises her eyebrows at him, and he nudges her with his shoulder.

"Don't knock it until you try it. Then you'll be begging me to bring you back here every Friday." He catches his words after they've left his mouth, and he's unsure of how she'll react. Will they return to their friendship that was halted 6 years ago? Will things really just slip back into place as if they'd hit a pause button? And honestly, was that what he wanted?

She just smiles and eyes the menu that's posted on the side, asking him for a recommendation. He gives her a few, and when they reach the window they both order. Tobias is quick to pull out his wallet, then stills her hands where they are digging in her purse.

"I got it."

"No really, it's ok-" she starts to insist.

"How many dinners did you buy me in college?" he says as he tilts his head down to her.

"Only because I had a car to go get the dinner," she insists, even though they know it isn't true. Tris already had a small fortune from the advertising campaigns she was in and sponsors she'd signed with, and there would only be more to come. Tobias, on the other hand, had a father who refused to send him any extra money, and a mother who couldn't argue because his father controlled their finances. He'd worked hours in the computer lab after class during the off season for a little bit of spending money, but Tris had always found a way to pay when they did things. If they saw a movie, she'd pre-order the tickets and say that she didn't want them to sell out before they got there. She'd pick up dinner and bring it to his dorm instead of them eating out together, usually finding a way to say she didn't want anyone to see her. But they both always knew the real reason.

"Yeah…" he lets it trail, but they don't argue anymore.

When their meals are ready, they walk around looking for a picnic table or a bench that's empty, but most are full. Eventually, Tobias sees a table that's only occupied by two other people so he asks the couple if they would mind him and Tris sitting on the other side.

When they nod in approval, Tris slides in across from him and sips her water. "So, what have you been up to? What do you do now?" It may seem like small talk, but she's genuinely curious about Tobias's life.

"I work in marketing," he tells her. "I create ads, mostly. But not the catchy sayings, just the artwork."

She nods. "You were always really creative."

"I practice at Dauntless four days a week. It's an adult league, nothing fancy. Amar requests we help out around the building or do stuff for the team to help. It keeps the cost down on our training."

"That's really cool, that you're still playing." She looks at him admirably. "I know you loved it."

He wants to ask her what she's been up to, but it's a stupid question because her life was broadcast across television for the entire year after she left college. He knows she won the Olympic gold in the all-around competition because he watched her do it on TV. He knows that two years later she retired due to injuries because there were articles about it on ESPN. But he also knows that there's a part of her that aches to still compete, because he knows her that well and because he saw it on her face that day in the gym.

"What brought you here?" he asks instead, avoiding what are difficult topics for her.

She chews while starring out at the city before answering. "Christina offered me a job, and it seemed a little… calmer?... than what I was doing at the time. So I took it."

"What were you doing?" That's actually a question he doesn't know the answer to.

She laughs and looks at me. "I was doing commentary for NCAA meets."

"You?" he thunders. "Really?" Tris hated being in front of the camera without a script. Make her do a commercial, and she can repeat exactly what you want her to say. But give her an open ended question with no guidance, and she always froze, always was worried about saying the wrong thing. More often than not, she overreacted about her answers, but Tobias knew she couldn't have enjoyed that job.

"I know, right," she shakes her head at the memory. "I hated it. I mean, they give you some guidelines, but you still have to make things up." She eases her hand up, placing her forehead in it. "Yeah, that really sucked."

She looks up at him, meeting his eyes that are still sparkling from his laughter, and she holds his gaze for a moment. "Tobias," she begins, but is suddenly interrupted by a nervous giggle a few feet away.

She turns her head and sees two young girls standing in front of a woman who is probably their mom. "Hi." The woman looks at her nervously. "I'm sorry to interrupt-"

"It's NOT a problem," Tris says with emphasis.

"My daughters were wondering if we could take a picture, or maybe get your autograph."

Tris's face lights up. This is one thing that she does enjoy doing. "Of course."

Tobias watches her from his side of the table, and her face lights up as she asks the young girls for their name, so she can write them a personal message on their papers. He can hear her excitement as she listens to the girls tell her what they're doing in their own gymnastics classes, and she high fives them when they say they're moving up a level in a few months.

"I coach at Dauntless Training Center now," Tris tells the mom as she stands to speak with her. "You should bring them by sometime." She looks down at the girls. "You can show me your new skills!"

The girls giggle in excitement. "Can we mom?!" the older girl pleads, but the mother just looks back at Tris with her eyes wide.

"Are you sure?" The mom is looking at Tris hesitantly, wondering if this is a genuine offer.

"Yeah of course." She reaches in her purse and pulls out a business card. "Here's my office number. Just call when you figure out what's a good time, I'll make it work with my schedule."

The mother looks at her with grateful eyes. "Wow. Oh wow. Yeah, yeah, I will call you. Thank you so much." She glances down at the business card and back up at Tris, a look of shock on her face.

Tris smiles back as if it's nothing. "I'll see you soon!" she says to the girls, and returns to her seat as they get further away.

"You are still just as generous now as you were then, aren't you?" Tobias asks her boldly. "Always thinking of others."

She looks down at her food, avoiding the compliment in the same mannerisms she had as a teenager. "I just thought it was nice thing to do," she mumbles shyly.

Tobias laughs through his nose. "Still don't know how to handle a compliment either," he lets slip before taking a big bite of his sandwich, thoroughly enjoying his time with Tris, just as he expected.


	2. Chapter 2

Tris sits in her office the following week between morning and afternoon practices. She tried her hardest to not think of Tobias every waking moment since they'd hung out, but she had been extremely unsuccessful in her attempts. She told him she had a great time, and wanted to do it again, but in her nervousness and stupidity, she hadn't asked to exchange numbers or set future plans with him. Other than seeing him at the complex, she had no idea how to get ahold of him, which frustrated her.

Maybe Tobias wasn't interesting in rekindling their friendship, and that was why he hadn't offered to make plans to give her his number. He could be completely uninterested in getting closer to her again, and she didn't blame him. She knew she had crushed him, missed out on some of his most important life moments. But he had seemed to enjoy their evening together, even briefly returning the hug she'd offered when they'd said goodbye.

That week, she found herself staying after each night, tumbling some frustration out of the floor, which was the only thing safe enough to do without a spotter. She longed for someone, anyone, to come in and sit back while she flew through the air on the bars, but didn't feel comfortable enough to ask anyone. So she stuck with her long flips and layouts on the floor, flinging her body around in different twists and turns.

On Thursday night she was out of breath and her muscles slightly burned from the repetitive passes before she stopped, walking off to the side of the gym towards her water bottle. She'd been so into her tumbling that she must not have heard the click of the gym door when it opened and closed, because she heard that familiar, deep voice from a few yards away.

"That's just as mesmerizing as the first time I saw it."

She turned quickly, melting into a smile at the sight of Tobias, and blushing at his comment. He wouldn't say things like that if he didn't want to be her friend, right?

"Well, it has been a while."

He shakes his head with a shy look on his face. "I watched you on TV."

It sends a pang to her heart, because she had watched Tobias on TV too. She'd been glued to the screen when his team won the Big Ten conference senior year, and when he'd received All-American accolades in the NCAA tournament, where they'd finished third.

She doesn't voice this because she doesn't feel she has the right to tell him she still cared about him and wanted to support him while she was miles away, doing things without him.

He keeps talking at her silence. "I was cleaning out the viewing box," he tells her. "I saw you tumbling and didn't want to just watch you… it felt kind of… creepy." He laughs at the confession, but she doesn't seem bothered by it.

"I'm glad you come down here," she admits. "We never really exchanged numbers, or made plans to see each other again."

Tobias scratches the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, I didn't want to assume anything."

"Well, I would really like to get together again," she tells him as she bites her bottom lip hopefully. "If you want."

His face breaks into his natural smile, the one that reaches his eyes and brings out a smile in Tris, too. "Yeah, of course I do."

Her body relaxes at his response. "Saturday? I'm off at 2."

He casually pulls out his phone and walks closer to her. "Yeah, that sounds good. Put your number in, and I'll figure out some plans."

As she reaches for his phone, her hand brushes his, and she can't help but feel the tiny jolts of electricity in her fingertips as she gives him her phone number. "My phone is in the office, otherwise I'd ask for yours," she explains at her lack of reciprocity.

She melts at his flirtatious smile he responds with. "I'll make sure you get it."

Tris shifts nervously. "I'm just going to do a few more passes," she says gesturing to the floor. "I want to get done before the custodial staff comes in. I…. uh… I don't really tell anyone I do this."

Tobias nods, understanding her longing for privacy. "Secret's safe with me."

She walks back to the floor, and as he's about to turn to leave, she looks at him over her shoulder. "I'm really glad you came down here, Tobias." And then he sees her running across the floor, throwing her body into a tumbling pass that sends her flying across the blue floor.

When Tris got home that night, she ate a quiet dinner before drawing a bubble bath for herself, as hot as she could stand it. She pulled out the book she'd been reading, setting it on the edge of the deep, vintage, claw foot tub next to her glass of water. But after she eased herself down and cracked it open, she couldn't concentrate on any of the words because her mind kept drifting back to her college memories of Tobias. Eventually, she tossed the book on the floor and dipped her hands in the water, running them down her face and then over her hair.

During their sophomore year their friendship had blossomed, both of them staying in the student athlete apartments that year and through the summer. But junior year, she competed the first half of the season with an extremely light course load of only 12 credit hours, the minimum needed to compete. After a long, brutal talk with her coach, they decided she should sit out the second semester, both athletically and academically.

They were sitting in the kitchen of Tobias's apartment on a Saturday night, two weeks left in the semester that would consist of dead week and finals week, when she told him. Her training schedule had gotten more rigorous, as she'd competed in the American Cup, which qualified her for the Olympic Trials, which would be held in just two months. If she qualified, which she was expected too, she'd spend the last three months before the Olympics at team training camp in Texas before they'd be off to the Olympics in London in August.

He'd asked her previously if she'd be able to finish the semester before training camp started and she'd shrugged and changed the subject. Truly, she had wanted to finish the year and maybe take the fall semester off but she didn't see how it could be possible to keep up with everything, and she knew that this was probably her last shot at the Olympics and an all around gold medal. Most of the girls competing for an Olympic team slot were high school students, completing work through home school or distance learning, and her older competitors were usually training full time. She didn't know of a single one of them that was attending college.

She'd brought over a chicken salad for her, and a burger and fries for him. He offered her a fry, as he always did, but she shook her head and turned away. He was talking about his classes for the next semester when she couldn't hold it in anymore and blurted out, "I'm taking next semester off."

His face had fallen, and he'd given her a sad, knowing smile. "I figured you would."

"I just… this is my chance, you know? I don't want to look back and think that I could have trained harder, I could have been more focused." She was picking at her salad with her fork, pushing it around because she suddenly had a lurching feeling in her stomach. She hadn't felt sad about leaving school until she'd thought about leaving Tobias and what this would mean for their friendship. She knew he would be fine. He was popular and spent time with Zeke and the hockey guys, and he'd have a tougher course load coming up this next semester as an upperclassmen.

"Do you think you'll come back senior year?" He looked at her hopefully.

"Probably not in the fall… the Olympics start in August." She glanced over at him and noticed how he was trying to keep his face straight and emotionless. "Maybe the spring?"

He had nodded, and then turned back to small talk, until they settled on the couch Tobias flipped on the TV and turned to the most recent episode of Criminal Minds, which he had convinced Tris to start watching. She'd never regularly watched a TV show before because she had considered it too much of a distraction from training. She'd lasted halfway through the show before she'd found herself scooting closer to Tobias, then resting her head on his shoulder.

"Can we still do this?"

"What's this?" he had asked, swallowing his nerves.

"Watch this show together. You know…all the things we do together." She had whispered it softly, unsure herself of exactly what she was asking him.

"I'll be ready to do whatever you have time for, Tris. I hope we'll still be friends."

She had shot up off of his shoulder. "Of course we'll be friends, Tobias. I hope, always."

Tobias had smiled, relaxing his tense hands at her words. "I hope, too."

Remembering that day sent chills to her spine despite the steaming hot bath water. It had been so long since she'd let herself think about it, opting regularly to remember the many more positive memories they'd had. Looking back years later, she saw her friendship with Tobias as what it really would have been if they'd been two normal teenagers. They would have been allowed to let their friendship grow into a relationship, and she had no doubt she'd have fallen in love him if she hadn't already.

That was new territory for Tris. The dating world wasn't something she ever really felt she belonged in. As a teenager, it was off of the table. She'd never had a boyfriend because she'd never had the time, nor had any boy been able to pull her mind away from gymnastics for any lengthy period of time. Because she didn't attend a regular high school, her friend number and social circles were both low. After the Olympics, she'd been introduced to so many people, and even set up with a few by her friends. She'd been in a couple of brief relationships, but no one could seem to keep her attention. If she was honest, no one could ever make her feel as comfortable as Tobias had.

Tobias was the man who introduced her to TV shows, who made her try her first slice of pizza. He made her stretch out his hamstrings because she knew exactly how to do it properly, giving her more physical contact with a boy than she'd ever even thought about. He taught her the rules of hockey, after she watched him play. He scribbled notes in her notebook during class, another silly thing that she'd never done with anyone, not even a girlfriend. They studied for tests together in the library during mandatory study hours, quizzing each other with flash cards and study guides.

She knew that the first step in pursuing Tobias was to mend their friendship, proving to him she still cared about him and that he could trust her. How exactly she would do that, she still wasn't sure. But so far, she seemed to be going in the right direction.

Tobias leaned back in his desk at work Friday afternoon. His office was small, and tucked away in the corner, which meant it was out of eye sight of almost everyone in the office. No one could see how many times he reached to the left side of his large desk to hit the button on his phone, checking to see if he had a text from Tris. They'd agreed to get together the following day, but he was still hoping that having his number would give her a little motivation to chat with him in the meantime, the way they used to.

It wasn't as if their friendship had just disintegrated instantly the day she'd left college. He'd helped her pack up her belongings, lounging on her full sized bed while she tossed clothes and random belongings into boxes and duffle bags.

"How's your team taking it?" he had asked her, hoping there were no hard feelings.

She had shrugged. "They understand. A lot of them had this dream once, you know." Some of Tris's teammates had even competed at the last Olympic trials, but none of them had made the team except Christina, as an alternate. "Christina is bummed." The closest female friend she'd ever had, Christina, had been insanely excited when they moved from the gym they shared as teenagers to college together. Christina had seen college as a much different opportunity than Tris had. Christina thrived in the social scene, attending the student athlete socials and going to football games and hockey games and genuinely enjoying all the new aspects of college.

"I need a break," she'd told him suddenly. "Let's get out of here." Even though it was December, they'd bundled up for a walk down the block to the local coffee shop, where Tobias had ordered coffee and Tris had asked for her usual, a bottle of water. Tobias had rolled her eyes, and then eventually they'd sat on a comfortable blue loveseat on the back wall, hidden from the people that entered and exited the shop. They turned to face each other, Tobias resting his arm on the back of the couch so he could admire her from where she sat across from him. Tris had played nervously with the edge of the couch cushion, letting the soft plush fabric run under her fingernails.

"I feel really… I don't know, I guess motivated… about the upcoming year. Trials are soon and I can already feel the adrenaline pumping when I think about it." She paused, gulping air and looking back at the couch cushion beneath her fingers. "But I get kind of sad when I think about you."

He had tried his hardest to hold on the expression that was creeping up on his face, which even he couldn't read clearly. There was anguish at the fact that she was leaving, and without a doubt things would change between them. But if she was really telling him what he thought she could be saying, he's heart sped up. "I do, too," he had confessed quietly.

"I enjoy this, whatever it is." It was the first time either of them had alluded to them having anything more than friendship, which they were almost constantly defending to others. Zeke made jokes and comments to Tobias regularly, always asking him to go meet a group of girls or buddy up with him for a double date and having smart remarks when Tobias turned him down. It wasn't always because he was with Tris, but it was usually just because he had no interest in doing anything with a girl who couldn't be nearly as captivating as she was.

Rumors spread through campus like wildfire, mainly because Tobias was popular and girls were regularly throwing themselves at him, and Tris seemed like an unattainable goddess to most male students. When Tobias did tag along with Zeke to a party, he'd find a random girl grinding up on him almost every time he turned around, and drunk girls pulling him towards a variety of drinking games to be their partner. At first, he kind of thought it was flattering, but that wore off quickly.

Eventually, Tobias found himself regularly being referred to as "Tris Prior's boyfriend" when he passed groups of guys on campus. At social events, he'd hear people ask him where Tris was, and when he told her about the rumors, she'd shared with him similar stories. "All the girls are jealous of me," she squealed. "One girl actually said to me, 'You have the hottest boyfriend, ever!'"

He had almost blushed when he realized she didn't argue with whoever said it.

"I enjoy it too," he had agreed with her about their relationship, and silently noting that it may be more than friendship. Boldly, he had reached his hand over to hers, stopping her from absently playing with the couch cushion.

He had seen it as possibly his last moment to act on the feelings he buried inside of him. He eased his weight off of the arm he had on the back of the loveseat and used it to cradle her head while he moved gently towards her. Pausing for a moment, his eyes reached hers before he leaned forward, kissing her softly. She'd almost reciprocated when his lips were on hers, but he felt her hesitate, and she'd looked away from him. "Tobias, I just can't do this right now." It was an apology, but one he didn't need, because he didn't have any expectations.

"Tris, I'm not expecting anything more than this," he'd whispered, only inches from her face. He didn't think this would be the beginning of something else, as she was leaving. It was as much of a first kiss as it was a kiss goodbye.

She'd met his eyes, nodding so slightly he wasn't completely sure that he wasn't imagining it. He'd kissed her again, and this time she kissed him back, even allowing her hand to find its way into his hair.

It was brief, and it left Tobias craving more, but he admired the way her cheeks pinked and her lips held a smile she was trying to hide. His hand still sat on top of hers, but now his fingers were slightly threaded into hers, and they'd walked home from the coffee shop that way, trying to act as normal as possible.

But that had been the last time Tobias had seen Tris. Just a couple days later she moved out of her apartment and back to her coach's house in the suburbs, training at her old gym with an even more rigorous schedule and even less free time. It wasn't the last time they spoke. They'd watched Criminal Minds together while on the phone together, or texted if Tobias's roommates were home. They stayed caught up with each other's lives, and Tobias had watched the Olympic Trials on television while his roommates and the rest of the hockey team were out at a party.

After that was when things got more difficult. Tris had called him before she left for training camp, and after an exciting conversation she grew more somber. "I… uh… I can't have my phone at camp."

"What?" he'd asked, incredibly shocked.

"Well, I can. But only after practice. So like… 8-10." He could hear the sadness in her voice as they both came to realization of what that would mean for them, as Tobias could sometimes be tied up with hockey practice until 8, and games took up his entire evenings.

"Email?" He'd asked desperately.

She agreed quickly. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Then we can get back to each other whenever we have time."

He had been used to their friendship winding around Tris's hectic schedule, and his at times, too. But cutting off so much time for communication was difficult for him to imagine, and he could tell she had been dreading tell him.

"We'll figure it out," he'd promised, but he wasn't quite sure what he was referring to anymore, because sometimes when Tris got off the phone, she'd tell him she missed him, couldn't wait to see him again, and other sentiments that seemed to be leaning towards more than friendly.

He reciprocated them every time, and even begun telling her things as well. Neither of them knew where this was leading, but he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to remind her that he cared about her.

But training camp had been more difficult than both of them had expected, or at least Tobias. Tris was exhausted at the end of each day, and the national coaching staff put a lot of emphasis on team building, which meant there were a lot of activities they all did together. He started to receive shorter and more hastily typed emails, with spelling errors that he knew would drive her nuts if she noticed them, and sentences that were so jumbled they barely made sense. Then there was more time between the responses, and she told him one day that she just felt so much pressure, from every direction. From coaches and teammates and the Olympic committee and the entire freaking country that she just needed time to breathe. He had responded the best way he knew how, that he couldn't control anyone else but he didn't want her to feel any pressure from him, that he was proud of her no matter what happened from here on out, and that he'd still be here no matter what.

She'd gone to the Olympics, and Tobias had watched or DVR'd every minute she was on screen, from opening ceremonies to the minute she won her final medal of the games, which was the very last day of competition. He'd even watched some of them with Zeke and Christina, which was odd and comforting at the same time. She'd won the all around gold, and Tobias could never forget the surge of pride and happiness that went through his heart as tears spilled out from her eyes at the moment it was clear the medal was hers. Christina, next to him, was hysterically crying out of joy for her friend, which made his reaction feel a little more controlled. He'd received a simple text from her that evening, the first time she'd contacted him since the games had started. "I wish you were here."

It was after the Olympics that they seemed to grow further apart, and really, he couldn't blame Tris. He knew she was swept up into a variety of things, endorsements and speaking engagements and taking part in a tour across the country with her team members. Their texts and conversations got to be few and far between, and when he heard that she was possibly dating a male gymnast on tour with her, he made the difficult to decision to back off, letting her be happy with the person she was choosing to be with. She deserved that, and he didn't want to make her life complicated.

He snaps back to present day as he checks his phone for the millionth time, almost wanting to smack himself for doing it again. It isn't until Tori, his supervisor, walks in to ask him for an update on his current campaign that he realizes how little work he has accomplished today.

"I've hit a bit of a creative block," he tells her honestly. "I'm not just coming up with anything."

Tori, knowing this is unusual Tobias, eyed him carefully before seating herself in a chair across from his desk. "What's the reason, Eaton?" She pulled one foot up on the chair, bending her knee near her chest.

Tobias shook his head. "Nothing. There's just nothing coming to me."

"Yeah, right. I've seen you looking at your phone every time I've walked past." Why did Tori have to be so observant? "People like us don't get blocked for no reason." Although Tori was his supervisor, she preferred to run the artistic side of the marketing company more relaxed and a little chaotic, because she said that was how artists worked best. Tobias knew that in her free time, Tori sketched beautifully detailed pictures, and her long dark hair with pink streaks was not uniform for the company, but accepted because it showed her artsy side.

Tobias nervously ran a hand over his face. He did not want to spill his guts to Tori, but he was starting to think he may not have another out. She could re-assign the project if he didn't come up with something.

"I ran into an old friend," he said vaguely, not really wanting to elaborate.

"Friend? Or foe?" Tori questions, probably wondering why a friend could throw him so far off his game.

He sighs. "Friend. Definitely a friend." He tries to hide the smile that blossoms from thoughts of Tris.

Tori nods thoughtfully. "Why don't you come look over what I've been working on? I could use a fresh set of eyes on some other projects."

"Uh.. yeah. Ok." Tobias raises his eyebrows in surprise. He didn't expect her to ask him for help after seeing he'd accomplished nothing on his own for the day.

"And Tobias?" she said as he followed her out the room. "She'd be a fool not to be in love with you."

It's later that evening when his phone finally does buzz while Tris's name shows up next to the small green text message icon. He'd forced himself to stop checking it and all but demanded Zeke join him for dinner and a few beers, even inviting Shauna when Zeke said they'd already made plans. Shauna had easily agreed, having already developed a simple friendship that Tobias appreciated from his best friend's girlfriend.

He immediately grabbed his phone and read the text, staring at it without immediately replying.

 _Can I ask a huge favor?_

Of course you can, he wanted to reply, but he held back. What if she was going to ask him to take a rain check, because she had an event? Or maybe a date? He didn't want to go down that road again, as much as he hope she wouldn't do that to him again.

"Just text her back," Zeke said finally, after Tobias's held his fingers tentatively over the keys on his screen.

"Who?" Shauna interjected, and apparently Zeke hadn't shared any information about Tobias and Tris's past with her. Tobias appreciated that, because he liked his privacy.

He sighed, typing a simple sentence before hitting the green send button.

 _What do you need?_

Her reply is quick, and Tobias wonders if she sat staring at her phone, waiting for him to respond to her.

 _Could you meet me at the gym tomorrow instead of my house?_

 _If you don't want to, it's no big deal. We can stick to whatever you have planned._

He smiles at her response, reminded of how selfless she could be at times. It had probably taken a lot of courage for her to even ask him for a favor.

Looking up, he sees Zeke rolling his eyes. "Going soft on me again?"

Tobias laughs at the joke, knowing that Zeke genuinely did like Tris, even if he didn't act like it. He couldn't remember a time that Zeke had said anything negative about her, but he knew Zeke had felt that Tris had led him on, and then dropped him when her lifestyle had picked up.

He types a response quickly.

 _No problem. I'll be there at 2._

Zeke waves at the waitress, gesturing that they'd have another round of beers for the three of them. "Tobias over here," he nudges his head in Tobias's direction as he speaks to Shauna, "has never had the time or patience for women."

"That's not true," Tobias interjects.

Zeke holds a hand up to stop him. "Except one woman, 8 years ago, and he's never really been the same since."

Tobias groans, hating the way Zeke tells women this story. He used to tell it on double dates or when they were out at the bars and Zeke was trying to pick up women. They'd see Tobias as this handsome man who'd had his heartbroken, and Zeke's favorite part was that they'd see him as the caring friend, helping Tobias through this tough time in his life. But what they didn't know was that Zeke had been playing Tobias's sob story for years, and it wasn't exactly the truth.

The only reason Tobias let it continue was that it was easy for him to let the women down that way. Sometimes he just wasn't in the mood, and a couple times he'd actually gone out with a woman they'd met that way, or Zeke would convince him to go on a double date. And a few times, few and far between, he'd told them he just wasn't ready for anything serious. It sounded like a line but still held some honesty, and the women didn't seem to mind as they pulled him into a cab to their apartments.

"Uhuh. No way!" Tobias shakes his head forcefully while his friend laughs across the table, "you are not giving her the sob story.'

"It's not a sob story, I just made it sound that way before. I'll give her the true version." Zeke raises his hands defensively to calm Tobias. He's still laughing at Tobias's reaction though, which isn't making him feel any better about the situation.

The waitress appears with their beers, and glances at Tobias, probably noting that he's tagging along with Zeke and Shauna, who are clearly a couple.

Instead of paying attention to her, Tobias glances at his phone.

 _Thanks. I'll owe you one!_

"Can I get you anything else?" she says as she leans across the table towards him.

"Uh..no. I'm good. Thanks." He smiles grimly in her direction, but she doesn't seem to get the hint as she lingers at the table.

"Well, my shift is over now, so Heather will be taking care of you after this." She must be referring to another waitress taking over her tables. "But if you do decide you need anything…" she lets the sentence trail as she slides a beverage napkin on the table towards him.

Tobias doesn't even look towards her as he takes another drink of his beer. "Nah, I'm really alright." He picks his phone back up to emphasize that their conversation is over, typing back to Tris.

 _I'll remember that!_

The waitress still shoots him a flirtatious smile as she backs up, leaving the table and once she's out of earshot, Zeke continues.

"See what I mean? 8 years of this shit!"

"I haven't said no every single time," Tobias retorts with a death glare. "There were some times I said yes."

"Oh yeah. You did, very briefly, say yes a couple times." He turns back to Shauna, ignoring Tobias's attitude. "Anyways, there was this girl in college. They were… friends, I guess you could say, but almost more than friends. I mean, we'd be at parties and girls would be throwing themselves at us 'cause we were hockey players-" Shauna clears her throat and rolls her eyes at this, making Tobias chuckle. "Right, sorry. Anyways, they were inseparable… when she had the time for him."

"Don't say it like that, Zeke. That makes it sound like I wasn't important to her." He doesn't want Shauna to get the wrong impression, especially because she'll eventually find out who Zeke is talking about.

"Ok, ok, man." He turns back to Shauna. "She just had a lot on her plate. She didn't have a lot of free time. Better?" he asks as he throws his head in Tobias's direction.

Tobias just grunts in agreement while taking a swig of his beer, so Zeke continues.

"But then she left… for good reason though. And they 'drifted apart', as he says. But I think she kind of ditched him, and he's never been the same since." Zeke pauses, thinking about how harsh that may have sounded. "He just says he's never felt a connection with someone the way he did with her."

From his side of the booth, Tobias avoids making eye contact with Shauna, embarrassed for her to hear some of his intimate feelings about Tris.

"But now you're reconnecting with her?" Shauna asks him directly, probably because she knows Zeke will interject the answer with his own opinions.

He nods, slightly turning his head towards her. "She moved back to the city."

"And you guys are hanging out?" She continues carefully, not wanting to step on his toes.

"Yeah, just once so far."

"Well… good luck," she says after pondering her response for a moment. "I hope it works out better this time."

"Thank you, Shauna, my friend," he says, to emphasize that he's aware of Zeke's lack of support. "I appreciate that."

"Where'd you take her last time?" Zeke asks as he brings his glass to his mouth.

Tobias smiles to himself, knowing how he's going to react to his answer. "Deming Park for Food Truck Friday."

He almost spits out his beer before choking it down. "You're trying to win a girl over, and you take her to a food truck for dinner?!"

Shauna smacks his arm. "I think it's cute," she says as she turns to Tobias. "It's a unique first-"

"It wasn't a date," he interjects. "We were just catching up. I didn't know… I still don't know what the terms are."

Zeke rolls his eyes. "Bullshit. It's the same thing it's always been with you two. Borderline dates, borderline relationship."

"Whatever."

"Where are you going tomorrow?"

Tobias pauses, spinning his glass a little on the table before answering, because this is one thing he's not really sure is a good idea. "I was thinking Lou Malnati's."

Shauna and Zeke both look at him like he's stupid, because everyone in Chicago has been there and there couldn't possibly be anything special about it.

"It… uh…" he feels odd sharing this detail that at one time seemed so special to the two of them, and still did to him. "The first time she ever had pizza… it was with me. And uh, it was Lou Malnati's."

"The first time she ever had pizza?! What is she, Amish?!" Shauna gasps out in surprise.

"No."

"You'll actually probably get this one," Zeke says, because a lot of Shauna's figure skaters are also on strict diets like the one Tris had been on.

There's silence between them briefly and when Tobias doesn't spill the details, Zeke does. "She was a gymnast."

"She is a gymnast," Tobias corrects.

"It's uh…" Zeke awkwardly rubs his eyes. "It's Tris Prior."

Shauna's jaw drops, and her eyes flit back and forth between Tobias, who's looking down at the table, and Zeke, who's giving her a half grin.

"So _you_ were the mystery man, huh?" she says as she puts her elbow on the table, resting her chin in it. "No shit."


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next chapter :) Thanks for all your reviews so far, I appreciate everyone taking the time to read! Hope you enjoy**

* * *

Nervously, Tris waits in the gym for Tobias. Wearing a tight black tank top and workout shorts, she needs to see if she can get back into the swing of training and display a decent set of skills. Christina had asked her to workout alongside the senior gymnasts one day next week to help motivate them for their upcoming meet, and Tris had agreed, but secretly wasn't sure how much she would be able to contribute. She didn't feel right telling Christina that, and she didn't feel right asking Christina to spot her so that she could prove to herself she could do this.

The only person that she would feel truly comfortable with watching her, seeing her so vulnerable and unsure, was Tobias. She knew he'd sit back and watch her, stand by in case she fell or slipped or hit the mat, and she knew he'd tell her honestly if she looked confident or uncertain or even afraid. It had taken the entire day to text him to ask him for his help, especially because she felt selfish turning their plans into something about her. But if he was still the same Tobias, he'd understand, and she had to count on that.

She'd been stretching and warming up before he got there, as everyone had long since left the gym. Christina and Will had given them a shorter practice day, going from 7-12 instead of the usual twice a day grilling practice routine. She was already wrapping her hands with grips as she heard the gym door open and close, and the soft footsteps that followed.

"What's this favor you need?" Tobias asks as he draws closer to her.

She sighs. "I need a spotter." She said it because it was the simplest answer, but she knows she needs to give more of an explanation. "I need to see what I can still do. Christina asked me to work out with the girls next week… and I'm kind of… nervous that I can't keep up."

"Did you tell her that?" he asks as he moves closer to where she stands, chalking up her hands and grips.

Tris shakes her head, her eyes not meeting his. "I just agreed to do it." She keeps chalking up her grips, even though she's long since done with the task, until she finally has the courage to look up at him. "I need to see what I can do, and I can't do that without a spotter. And I know you'll be honest with me, and I need to know if I look like the same girl that won an Olympic title."

"You look like her every day," he replies in complete seriousness. Nothing about Tris and the way she carries herself has changed since the last time he saw her. She's no less confident than she had been, but just as shy about her confidence.

"You haven't seen me up there," she says as she jerks her head out toward the bars. She moves the spring board a bit before walking back further and taking a deep breath. "If I break my neck, call 911."

Tobias spent an hour watching Tris repeat routine after routine. She fell from the bars a few times, stepped off the beam on a handful of tumbling passes, and a hesitated a few times on each apparatus. But the look on her face was the same one he saw 8 years ago when he watched her compete for the first time. She was cool and collected, yet daring and strong all at once. When she hit a tumbling pass across the beam or stuck a dismount she dared to try, he'd seen her face light up with pride and relief all at once.

Eventually, she sits down to stretch out her legs, apologizing that they'd been there for so long, and thanking him for watching her.

"I could never get tired of watching that," he confesses boldly, and Tris blushed, but continues to ask him if she looks like an old lady who doesn't know what she was doing. He openly laughs at that, reminding Tris that she isn't old, nor is she clueless on what she is doing. To him, she looks exactly the same as she did at 18, and he enjoys watching the emotions play across her face.

She showers quickly at the gym, leaving her hair wet to dry in its natural waves. After toweling off, she pulls on a pair of jeans and a sleeveless top, then sticks her feet into her canvas slip-on shoes. She brought her normal, minimal amount of make up and applies it quickly before hurrying back out to Tobias, who es sitting casually on a bench.

She notices the way his arms flex slightly as they stretch across the back of the bench. His shoulders look broader than she ever noticed before, and his face is handsome even when he isn't smiling. It's funny to her how she'd thought he was good looking all of those years ago, but she'd never taken the time to notice every jaw dropping detail about him. Tris could admire him all day, if it didn't make her look crazy.

Tobias stands when he sees her, and they make their way to the parking garage, but only so Tris can dump her things in her car so they can take a taxi to get a bite to eat. As they stand out on the street, waiting for a car to stop, she gets curious. "Where are we going?"

He smiles knowing she'll appreciate the surprise, even if Zeke thought was stupid. "A place that will bring back memories. Good ones."

"You really won't tell me?" she'd pleads.

He breaks into an even larger grin at her longing to know the truth. "No, you'll find out soon enough."

When they pull up to Lou Malnati's, Tobias slips out of the cab and turns to offer his hand to Tris, who takes it as he eases her out the door. His fingers linger in hers for a while, and he enjoys the wide, happy smile that's across her face.

"I've never been here, you know. And I've only ever ate pizza with you," she says softly as they reach the sidewalk.

Tobias stops and turns his head towards her before they continu walking. "Really?"

"It just…" she glances at the ground and then at the door to the restaurant before meeting his eyes with hers. "It just felt like something I only wanted to share with you."

Involuntarily, he find himself squeezing her hand. "Does it sound just as sweet to say that every time I ate it, it reminded me of you?"

She laughs at his attempt at sincerity, but Tris knows that Tobias is being honest. "Yeah, it does."

They make their way into the restaurant and give their name to the hostess. They only wait a brief time before being seated at a table for two, and Tobias wonders if to everyone else in the restaurant if they appear to be a couple. He likes that thought, and he likes the idea.

As they brows the menu, he doesn't look up at her as he asks if she wants the veggie pizza. Surprisingly, she responds quickly. "No, sausage."

He raises his eyebrows and peers at her from the opposite side of the table. "Really?"

Tris smiles, looking back at him with sparkling eyes. "I know it's your favorite."

"Veggies are yours."

"I'm open to trying new things, now." Her words have more than one meaning. "Times are different."

They spend the meal catching up leisurely at first. Tobias talking more in depth about his job, what he'd been doing since graduation. He explaines his hockey schedule, how often they play and practice. She tells him about some things too, like what had finally brought her to retirement was a nagging knee injury that just wouldn't fully heal.

He askes her a little about the Olympics and afterwards, how her life had changed. She tells him how crazy things had gotten so quickly. Suddenly, endorsement deals were coming from everywhere and she had really just wanted to enjoy the tour with her teammates, performing fun routines that allowed her to do what she loved for the fans that supported her.

They've long since finished eating and are enjoying their conversation when she feels that they've run out of things to discuss and she needs to finally tell him what she never thought she'd have the chance to.

"I came back once, you know." She speaks tentatively, not sure if she should share this with him but feeling the need to.

"Back here?"

"Yeah… and to school."

His eyes shoot up at her, baffled that he didn't know and upset that she didn't tell him.

"What!?" he says a little louder than he planned.

"The tour was coming through Chicago and we had a few days off. In my head, I planned on spending those three days with you. I was like, imagining all these things we'd do together." She pauses, drinking her water nervously. "I went… uh… to one of your hockey games, and I was going to surprise you afterwards."

"I didn't see you," he says softly. "Where were you?"

"Well, I didn't want anyone to see me, so I sat up really high, far away from everyone. And I… uh… I was in my car after the game because it was cold. I thought I would… uh… catch you when you left." Her eyes are dodging his, looking around the restaurant at anything she can find to focus on. "When you came out, you were with Zeke and… a girl. She hugged you… and you… kissed her." She has to force the last words out, remembering how the moment had stabbed her in the gut, and how angry she'd been at herself for assuming they could pick up where they left off.

But she knows she has to continue, to get this out. "You looked so happy, and your arm was slung over her shoulder all casually. Like it belonged there."

"I was probably happy, but about the game, and not the girl." His voice is soft, almost comforting, and he moves is hand on top of hers to stop her fingers from idly scratching at the tablecloth.

"Well, I just realized that I couldn't barge back into your life like that. Clearly, you had something going on, and you were happy, and I had no right to mess that up for you because I had been the one that had left." She's holding back tears now, trying to keep the pain hidden. She had wanted to do so many things with Tobias that week, including introduce him to her team members and ask him to come see her perform. She wanted to eat pizza with him and watch Criminal Minds and even lay on the couch and talk about nothing in particular except them.

"We were barely speaking, anyways. So I figured that was the reason. And… I… I just wanted you to be… happy."

She finally gets the courage to look up at him, and she can feel is eyes staring intently on her.

"I have a confession, too." His voice is calmer than hers, but still wavering.

Tris can't speak anymore, so she just stares at him, waiting for him to continue.

"I kind of had a moment like that, I guess. I heard you were dating some male gymnast on tour. It was in the news and on the internet and I kind of… I would read about you when I saw articles online. I guess I felt like I didn't belong in your life anymore. And you know, I felt like if that was what you wanted… I didn't want to make it complicated for you."

She feels his fingers tracing over hers as he talks, sending chills down her arm. When she looks up, she sees their server approaching, so she hastily wipes her face with her other hand and avoids his eyes when he comes, turning her head.

"Yeah, we're ready for the check," she hears Tobias tell him. When she feels his presence leave the table, she knows Tobias's eyes are back on her, and she turns to face him.

"Maybe we should finish this conversation somewhere more private?"

She immediately nods, because she knows that in his presence, his alone, shell be able to let so many more words spill out of her mouth and hopefully reach his heart.

Tobias pays, and this time she doesn't argue. He opens the door for her, escorting her out with his hand on the small of her back, and she tingles at the feeling and likes how it seems to linger there for a moment when they're out on the street.

She crosses her arms in front of her as they walk down the block, feeling oddly exposed after willingly sharing so much information with him. Tobias, shoving his hands in his pockets, is the first one to make a suggestion.

"We can go to my apartment?" he offers with raised eyebrows. His brain raced with the surrounding area, but he couldn't think of any place appropriate enough for them to have this conversation. Plus, evening was approaching, and both of their cars were still at Dauntless.

Tris nods. "That's a good idea." He knows that she's nervous for this conversation, but as much as he believes they need to have it, he knows she agrees.

He hails a cab to take them back to the parking garage at the gym, and she follows him back to his apartment building in her car, pulling into the parking garage behind him. He's quick to get out after he parks and meet her at her car, ushering her to the elevator and into the building.

Tris feels like this is an oddly intimate moment for some reason. Perhaps it's because she never imagined having this opportunity to be with Tobias in his apartment as an adult, with so much happening between them.

She slips off her shoes at the door after watching Tobias do the same, but he remembers how she's always been most comfortable barefoot, just like at the gym. She walks slowly through the living room, admiring the few photos on his wall and other personal items, like books and his diploma.

He calls to her from the kitchen, asking if she wants anything to drink. He's shocked when she asks if he has any beer, fumbling with the bottle opener and cap on his own before reaching for another. He breathes deeply in an attempt to brush off his nerves before returning to the living room.

"I always knew you'd be successful," she says when she hears him approach behind her.

"You always were on my team." He remembers how his father had been disappointed with his course of study, and his mother so numb to everything by the time he got to college that she didn't care if he went or stayed home or worked at McDonald's. Tris had been the first source of motivation for him in years, aside from hockey.

"I went back and finished. Did you know that?" she asks, accepting the cold bottle from his hand while still facing the wall.

Tobias nods, swallowing the drink he's already taken. "I did."

"I did it online," she confesses with embarrassment. "I always planned on going back, competing another season and taking classes." She goes without further explanation, but Tobias doesn't need one.

"I don't blame you, Tris. I never blamed you." He brings a hand up to her back comfortingly, rubbing it slightly.

She doesn't turn around, and he can barely hear the next words she speaks. "But I left. And we left it so… I don't know." She brings the bottle to her lips, taking a sip to keep her from finishing.

Tobias reaches for her shoulder to turn her towards him, and her legs give way to his desire. "What if it had been me that had left? Would you have been angry at me for chasing a dream I may never get a chance at again?"

The comparison stuns her, and Tobias can tell she'd never thought about it the situation in that light before. He had, plenty of times, and it was what made him understand Tris's need to go. He continues speaking, because he needs her to stop feeling the guilt that's been eating at her for years.

"You wouldn't, because that's who you are, and that's how we cared about each other. We left it on uncertain terms, but I wouldn't have wanted to leave it any other way. I had to kiss you before you left. I just _had_ to. But I couldn't ask anything else of you right then. Tris, I was _so proud_ of you, every second you were gone."

She chokes back tears at the emotion he speaks with. "I don't even know how it happened. Suddenly we were just not talking." She feels the familiar sting in her eyes when tears are appearing, and Tobias's imagine blurs in front of her as she tries to keep them from spilling over.

"Your life wasn't exactly calm," he says with a laugh, attempting to lighten the mood. "We both had a lot going on. Long distance relationships are difficult."

Tris manages a small smile, even though now her tears have spilled over onto her cheeks. "I always thought you had to have hated me."

Tobias reaches his hands up to wipe her cheeks with his thumbs. He finds his hands resting there, on the side of her face. "I could never hate you, Tris."

Her hands wind around his waist, and her body collapses into his, tears of relief now streaming down her face. "You are so incredible," she says. "No one else could ever be as understanding as you."

Without thinking, his arms fall around her, holding her to his chest. "I've missed you," he whispers down into her hair.

"God, I've missed you too."

* * *

A few hours later, after they broke their embrace and were both too emotionally exhausted to continue conversation for a while, Tobias and Tris are lounging on the couch, a few empty beer bottles in front of each of them. Tobias leans back into the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table in front of him, while Tris's position matches his.

"I must say, I didn't really think I'd ever get the chance to sit on my couch with Tris Prior. But I definitely never pictured sitting on the couch drinking beer with Tris Prior." Tobias had been shocked when she'd asked him for a drink to start, but then when she requested another, he'd stopped in his tracks and asked her if she was ok.

"I _hated_ having to retire," she says, even though Tobias knows that the word hated should not be spoken in past tense. He lets it slide, continuing to let her talk. "But I actually realized there's a lot of stuff I haven't gotten to do. So many things were off limits when I was competing."

Tobias can remember how surprised he'd been when Tris would tell him she didn't do certain activities or didn't eat certain foods. Eventually, as their friendship had grown, he'd often coaxed her into experiencing certain things, like pizza.

"And now? Is there anything else you're dying to try?" He asks it honestly, wondering what else she has the desire to experience, but hasn't been able to.

"You."

When he looks over at her, she's already looking at him, waiting for his response or trying to read his reaction.

"I mean this. Us. Seeing where it could go." She runs a hand through her hair nervously when he doesn't respond, and then diverts her eyes as he continues to sit in silence.

But he's only sitting in silence because he's taken aback at how bold and honest her statement was, while he was still dancing around how to express himself in his head.

"If you don't, or if I'm-" She's silently kicking herself because she's angry for saying something so stupid.

"Of course I do."

They sit there for a moment, staring at each other elated smiles, drinking in the other person that they both had missed for the past 6 years. Tobias had compared every woman who walked into his life to Tris. She'd been perfect and difficult all at the same time, but with a grace that made him adore her even more. And Tris had never been able to let her guard down, be fully comfortable, with anyone else of the opposite sex, even the men she spent every day with on tour.

It's only after he's satisfied with taking in the happy, elated look on her face that he sits up, moving slightly towards her and cradling her head from under her ear. He meets her eyes before he sees her glancing down at his lips, and that's all the confirmation he needs before he leans in and lets his lips brush hers. Softly, they move against each other, but quickly they grasp at each other with need and fervor, making up for lost time.

It's only after several passionate minutes that they pull away, Tobias breathing heavily and Tris's lips red and raw from the stuble around his mouth. He sees her mouth break into a smile, and the side of her head rests on the back of the couch.

"So _that's_ what it's like."

His brow furrows. "What _what's_ like?"

Her hand snakes its way absently onto his knee, lightly brushing against it. "Kissing someone you really care about."

"Was dating one of those things you experienced that you missed out on?" he asks, not wanting to bring up the topic, but needing to know how much had changed in that area of her life.

Tris sighs, not wanting to really discuss this area, but knowing that she has the same questions about Tobias and how he has filled his time over the years.

"I don't think I was missing much… since you weren't in the picture."

He smiles, enjoying that comment but also realizing that it means Tris hasn't been happy with whoever she's been with.

"That guy you were on tour with?" He doesn't specify what he's asking, but he doesn't have to.

Tris shakes her head. "I wasn't dating him. It was just a rumor."

"Was there anyone?" Tobias hates this jealous feeling stirring inside of him, knowing that it will grow if she says yes. He can't blame her, be mad at her. Of course she's dated.

She closes her eyes briefly before answering with a yes, and then sighs. "There were really only two people I was in a relationship with. I went out with several, but it was hard to find someone that kept my interest for more than a few months."

"Oh." He doesn't have any other words to answer with.

"They didn't last for a lot of reasons. But mostly because I didn't love them. It's hard to stay with someone when you don't care about them like that."

Tobias nods, and then it's her turn to ask him the same question. "The girl I saw you with… that night. What about her?"

He thinks back to the girl he's pretty sure she's talking about. "She was a distraction."

"From?" Tris is raising her eyebrows.

He hates the words he's about to say, because he knows she'll feel guilty again. "From missing you." He pauses briefly, but not long enough to let her start retreating back into her guilt and sadness. "Zeke set me up with her; we went on a double date. She was nice enough, pretty enough. She wasn't bad company or completely annoying… so I dated her for a while."

He continues, knowing Tris wants to hear the response but doesn't want to ask, so he keeps from forcing her to ask. "There have been a few women, over the years. If you want to talk relationships, I'd say three. If you want to talk about dates, there's more, but only because Zeke dragged me on a lot of double dates and blind dates."

Tobias laughs to himself for a moment. "One woman actually broke up with me because I have a picture of you hanging up. She wanted me to take it down."

"One of me?" she asks, surprised.

"Yeah," he smiles at the memory, remembering how he had thought, and said, that Tris would never be replaceable in his life.

"Where?"

He points over to the wall near the kitchen, where three picture frames hang on the wall in a vertical line, between the doorway and the cut out in the wall that reveals the kitchen.

She gets up and moves over towards them, seeing that the top one is a photo of him and Zeke from college, dressed in their hockey uniforms. The bottom one is of Tobias and a couple of people that Tris doesn't know, a woman and a man. In the middle, however, rests a photo of Tobias and Tris. She immediately remembers when it was taken. It was the day after Tris had returned from the World Championships. She'd won the all around and placed in three event finals, on top of the team silver they'd come away with. Her coach had been so happy he'd given her an extra day off, and Christina and Tobias had thrown her a surprise party upon her return. It had been small, but the gymnastics team, most of the hockey team, and a handful of other friends had piled into the apartment Tris shared with three of her teammates, waiting for her to return. Tobias had met her outside, and Tris had just been expecting them to hang out and watch TV until she'd walked in the door. At the moment she'd heard her friends shout "surprise", her face had broken into an enormous grin, and Tobias had slung an arm around her shoulder. His smile radiated with pride for what she'd accomplished, and she'd turned to look at him with her own look of shock and surprise and thankfulness. She remembered Christina was the one who had called their names, her cell phone poised to take photos. They'd turned towards her, Tobias's arm still resting on her shoulders, but Tris had instinctively leaned towards him, her body still slightly facing his. To anyone, to everyone, they looked perfect together, and happy.

She doesn't even realize that he's behind her, rubbing his hands up and down her arms and snapping her out of her memories. "I just really liked that picture of us. I always have."

"I do, too." She leans back into his chest lightly, and his body firms up as he welcomes her weight on him. "Do you have a game coming up soon?" she asks.

He nods, then presses his nose into her hair to inhale her scent. "Actually, this coming week. On Thursday."

"Can I go?" she asks as she tips her head back so she can see him. "I want to be there to watch you."

Tobias smiles and his arms encircle her shoulders as he thinks about how good it would feel to have Tris there, watching him, supporting him. "I would love it if you were there."

They stand in silence, admiring the photograph of them on the wall and enjoying the physical contact they're sharing and the complete feeling they both have from it. "Tris?" he half-questions.

"Mmm Hmm?" she murmurs in response, because she's too content to speak.

"I'm going to make sure we do this right this time," he promises sincerely.

She nods. "Me too, Tobias."


	4. Chapter 4

Tobias could have stood with Tris in his arms forever, and he wouldn't have minded if she'd curled up in his bed next to him. Instead, making the smart decision and keeping the promise he'd just made to her about doing it right, he walked her to her car not long after the moment with the picture. He gave her another lingering kiss full of longing, and then she drove home.

Tris had already planned on watching his hockey game on Thursday, and he quickly asked her if she wanted to have dinner with him, either on Friday or Saturday. She instead picked both, to his surprise and delight.

When he'd gotten on the ice to warm up, he'd been surprised to see Christina by Tris's side, and Shauna in the next seat. He knew that Christina and Shauna were friendly, and although there'd never been sour feelings between him and Christina, they didn't have much of a friendship without Tris. Part of him had always wondered if Christina distanced herself because she knew how much he missed Tris, and she didn't want to be in the middle of it. They'd still been friendly, but went their separate ways. He'd been surprised when she'd ended up coaching at Dauntless with Will, her husband and coaching partner. It apparently was a small world, but Christina had brushed everything aside and in a way, started fresh.

Tobias really does like Christina, even if she's bold and honest, and sometimes even brutal. But he could never handle her the way her husband Will does, with a smile and a shake of his head at her obnoxious moments and loud personality.

Tris relaxes in her seat as she converses easily with Shauna and Christina. Christina introduced her to Shauna because they'd become friends, and when Shauna was out of earshot, she'd whispered that Shauna also happened to be Zeke's girlfriend. It was a surprising match for Tris, but the more she got to know Shauna, the more comfortable she could see the pair together.

"Do you want to grab some drinks after this?" Shauna asks them both casually, as if they do this all the time. "If they win, it will be the first words out of Zeke's mouth when he sees me."

Christina nods. "Sure. We don't fly out for our competition until the afternoon."

Christina turns her head over to Tris, and Shauna leans forward so she can see her. "Come on, Tris! You should come."

Tris hesitates, unsure about accepting the invitation. Would Tobias want here there? What if he's not ready to mix his friends with his… with her, whatever she is to him.

"I'm sure Tobias will be there," Shauna quickly adds, which just consumes Tris with more nerves.

"I should probably ask him, first," she finally confesses.

Shauna gives her a quizzical look, and Christina laughs slightly. "Yeah right. Like that man would ever turn down time with you." Tris doesn't respond, so Christina just turns to Shauna. "He'd move mountains to spend time with her."

"That was 6 years ago, Christina," she finally retorts. "I'm not exactly… positive… about what's going on now. And I don't want to screw it up."

"Are you afraid he doesn't want you around his friends?" Shauna asks with a furrowed brow. "Is that what you're worried about?"

Tris pauses, not exactly sure herself what she's so worried about. "It's that, and other things. I'm not… totally sure what we are right now. And I don't want to just insert myself into his life without his permission."

"Tris," Shauna says it comfortingly. "He's crazy about you. I spent an entire night of dinner and drinks listening to him and Zeke talk about you."

She tries to hold the blush away from her cheeks, but she feels it rising with the smile that's creeping up also. "I didn't think he'd talk to Zeke about me." She finds relief at this, because she thought for sure that Zeke would talk Tobias out of seeing her, giving her a second chance.

Shauna nods over towards the ice. "Does that look like a man who'd deny being involved with you?"

Tris turns, and Tobias is standing over with some of the guys, waiting for their turn to warm up as a group and pass the puck. His mask is flipped up so she can see his face, and his handsome grin is spread so wide as he looks at her, she can't help but smile back. She raises her hand just slightly to wave, and then drops it back down, feeling childish and wanting him to focus on the game. When he sees her hand, his smile grows even though it seemed like it couldn't get any larger, and he nods before knocking his mask back down to cover his face.

"I haven't known Tobias for very long," Shauna admits. "But it's obvious from the way he talks about you that he cares about you."

Tris wants to ask her for more details, but she'd rather hear about Tobias's feelings from him, so she halts herself. Christina sits in between them with a smug smile on her face. "I knew this would happen, the minute you said you were meeting him for dinner." She turns to Shauna. "Be grateful they cut to the chase this time and we don't have to endure another couple years of sexual tension."

Tris rolls her eyes at the reference. "We're not talking about this anymore. Shut up and watch the game."

As the game begins, she can't keep her eyes off of Tobias gliding around the ice. She remembers most of what he taught her about hockey, but in the past few years she had refused to watch it, mostly because the memories it brought back like fresh wounds. She remembered one time sitting with Peter, a guy she briefly dated, while he watched a hockey game with his friends and she had kept her eyes dodging the game until he'd gotten upset later that day because she just couldn't get interested in his interests.

She'd laughed when he'd said that, and mostly because she did enjoy watching hockey, and she enjoyed it even more when Tobias was the one on the ice. But without him playing, she felt empty watching it, remembering the thrill of watching him play and taking such joy from his accomplishments. Now, thinking of that brought back the ache in the pit of her stomach because he was long gone from her life.

But now, watching Tobias do what he loves, reminds her of how much she cared about him. How much she _cares_ about him. She yells and claps and cheers with Shauna and Christina, especially when Tobias scored a goal, and when the game is over and they won. She'd never sat so close to the ice before, in the front row. The fast pace of the game had overwhelmed her at first, seeing the players so close that their hits made her cringe.

The three of them sit on a bench outside of the locker room after the game, waiting for Tobias and Zeke to exit. Fans linger briefly around the hallways, but the arena is long empty when Tobias and Zeke emerge from the locker room. Zeke, just as predicted, names a place to celebrate almost immediately, and Shauna smugly smiles at how well she knows her boyfriend.

"Hey," Tobias says softly once he's gotten closer to her. "Thanks for coming."

"I loved every minute of it," she confesses with a smile, looking at him shyly.

He looks down at her happily before jutting his head in the direction of their friends. "Do you want to go out for a few drinks?"

"You want me to go?" she asks, wanting Tobias to be sure about bringing her around his friends ."Aren't your teammates going?"

"Why would other people being there, stop me from bringing you?" he looks down at her like what she's questioning is the silliest thing. "Of course I want you to come."

Her face breaks into a more relaxed smile, and she nods. "I'd love to go then."

It's a month later that the discussion comes up to label them. It's an early Sunday morning, the pair running together on the treadmill in Tobias's building's gym. That night after the game, Tobias had readily introduced Tris to everyone there, but only by name, not titling her in any fashion. It sort of made Tris feel relaxed, like right now there was no pressure to be anything specific, and they could feel this out together at their own pace.

And that weekend, along with every one since, they'd spent their evenings together, and most of their days too. Aside from going out to places in the city, Tris had made them dinner or breakfast several times, because cooking was something she was exploring these days. They'd walked aimlessly down city blocks, toowrapped up in conversations to care where they were.

They'd kissed too, hesitantly at first as if they were exploring uncharted territory. But eventually, Tobias felt he had memorized the curves of her neck with his hands and could find the sharp angles of her hips anywhere. When had Tris developed hips and breasts, he'd wondered, because he couldn't remember those parts of her from when they were younger.

Tris had run her fingers through Tobias's hair so many times, she could almost conjure up the feeling of his prickly hairs grazing her fingertips on command. She knew exactly how wide his shoulders were because her hands spent so much time running over them when his lips met hers. It was obvious that this was something they both enjoyed, their bodies heating up at every exchange, but both of them hesitant to take it any further.

It was something they hadn't discussed, but Tobias knew that during college Tris was a virgin. It was too difficult to test those waters when her body needed to be in top shape, and she'd never had anyone to test those waters with, anyways.

In the gym this morning, they're matching each other's pace as they both watch the TV's, chatting every once and a while, but mostly focused on their even breathing and the speed of their run. They'd taken to running together the week before, but the thunderstorm outside had forced them indoors, and Tobias's apartment had been the simplest option, as Tris's townhome didn't have a gym.

They both slow their treadmills as they've hit the end of their run, and Tris looks over at him with a smile, her blonde hair wound up tight behind her head in a bun. "I like running with you."

Tobias is happy to return her smile with one of his own. "Me too."

After they've cooled down enough, they move to the weights for a bit before leaving the gym, but Tobias is waved over by a man in a suit near the desk before they make it to the elevator.

"Mr. Eaton," he says as Tobias nears him.

"Yes?" Tobias recognizes him as the building manager, and he's sure he knows what this is about. He inquired just days ago about purchasing another parking spot in the resident section, wanting to have a place for Tris to park nearer to the door of the building. He walked her to her car every time she left, but he still hated the fact that she was far from the door. He also let his thoughts creep up to later in the year, and trekking to her car in the cold, which he wanted to prevent also.

"How does space 46C sound for that extra spot? It's near your first one, just a couple rows over. And you can easily access the door from it."

Tobias nods. "That's great."

"I will put the tag for the other vehicle in your mail box," he says with a curt nod. "And the fee will be on your next statement." It was only a slight increase on his rent to add the additional spot, and he felt it was well worth the cost for the comfort it would provide Tris.

"Thank you," he says evenly before turning away from the desk, Tris following his actions.

He hadn't told her about the new parking spot, and he's not exactly sure how. It's not like he's doing something truly monumental, but he doesn't want to look like he's assuming something if Tris isn't quite there.

"Are you buying another car?" she asks when they're inside the elevator.

Tobias glances at her, admiring the way she always carries her body so effortlessly, even though she just ran 5 miles. "Um, no."

"Oh," she begins to answer. "What-"

"That space is for you." It shoots out of his mouth because he's not sure exactly how else to say it, and he doesn't want to screw this up. "For when you come over. I just wanted you to be able to park closer to the door, not have to walk so far to your car." He shrugs, trying to make it seem like it's no big deal, but when he looks at Tris, she's attempting to hide a goofy smile on her face. "What?"

"I think that's really sweet of you," she confesses.

"And? I know you aren't smiling cause I'm nice."

She looks at her toes briefly before continuing. "I like that you did something… kind of… with the future in mind." She reaches up, nonchalantly slipping her fingers into his lightly, sending his nerves away.

"I think about the future a lot," he confesses, but before either of them can continue, the bell dings and the doors fly open, and they exit the elevator.

Tris waits until he's unlocked his apartment door before they continue, kicking her shoes off by the door and heading towards the kitchen for water. "I didn't expect that from you," she finally confesses as she pulls two glasses from the cabinet, setting them on the counter.

"What did you expect?" He takes the pitcher from the fridge, moving alongside her to fill the glasses.

"I thought maybe there would be more hesitation."

He turns to face her, taking her shoulders, thinking she's referring her to their past. "I don't blame you, Tris. I don't blame you for anything."

Tris shakes her head in an attempt to will away the thoughts he's conjuring up. "I just thought you'd move slower. I mean, you told me what happened in your past relationships, and I thought we'd move at the same pace."

They'd talked more in depth about the time they were apart, and who they'd each been with in the mean time. Tobias had admitted to her that he'd never given anyone a key, and the thought of living with anyone was so undesirable, he'd rather have been single. It had taken a while for him to even bring a woman over to his apartment, and when he did, he always preferred they didn't stay the night.

"It's different with you," he says as he runs his hands up and down her arms. "It's always been different with you. We spent time apart, but I think we probably needed that. We needed time to grow and mature."

"Do you like the person I've grown into?" she asks tentatively, even though she's sure she already knows the answer.

"I'm crazy about her," he says with a sexy grin. "So crazy about her, I got her a parking spot!" He says sarcastically, as if it's a romantic gift. Tris still thinks it's thoughtfully and sweet, and she appreciates it more than he'd expected her to.

"Now get your ass in the shower," he mumbles as he brings his lips near hers, kissing her briefly. "I'm starving."

After breakfast at a small restaurant down the road, they'd retreated back to Tobias's to relax and ended up both sprawled out the couch, Tobias with his feet up on the coffee table and Tris leaning back against his chest, her arm idly draped on his leg, playing with the hem of his comfortable athletic shorts.

He flips through the channels on the TV, laughing as he stumbles upon a Criminal Minds rerun. "Do you still watch it?" he asks, looking down at her.

She closes her eyes. "I did for a while. But it just… it got too hard. When we were on tour, other people would want to watch it with me, and it just… it didn't feel right."

He nods in agreement and she tilts her head back so she can see him better. "You too?" she asks.

"Yeah. For a few seasons I watched it. It kind of made me feel closer to you. But then, I just stopped."

Tobias is silent for a moment, and he puts his arm around her waist a little more snug, leaning his head down to hers to breathe her in. "I missed you so much."

He feels her snuggle closer, if it's at all possible, making her back flush to his chest. "Do you remember when I texted you, the night I won?"

"I'd never forget that."

"It was like that, through everything. I always knew it would have been better if you had been there." She runs her fingertips lightly over his arm that's snug around her waist. "If you'd been there with me… as my boyfriend. I think that those years we were friends, I was just pretending that maybe you already were."

He enjoys hearing her admit the same things he's thought so many times over the years. "There's always the present. We can make up for all the lost time."

Tris turns her body, her legs slightly on his lap as she leans her side against the soft brown fabric of the couch. "Is that what we're doing now, Tobias?"

"Are you asking if we're together?"

"Yes." She stares at him nervously, sure of what his answer will be but still harboring slight doubt for some reason.

He breaks into his sexy, relaxed grin, as he leans in to give her a chaste kiss on the lips. "I think that's something we need to agree upon, but I am definitely in favor of it."

"I am too. And, I'm really glad you said that, because there's been something I've been wanting to ask you, but I wanted to be certain we were on the same page first." Her hand wanders onto his stomach, her palm stretched open, rubbing softly back and forth. Her eyes wander down to his body before coming back up to meet his.

"The American Cup is coming up, and they asked me to go." She's referring to USA Gymnastics, the group that governs and runs gymnastics throughout the country. It's often that they ask former gymnastics to come to meets, to comment on routines or sign autographs, among other things. "I was hoping you would come with me."

She gives him the dates, understanding that he'd have to get off of work and figure something out, but he already has an idea for that. Lately, Tori has been insisting that artists need to work in their 'natural environment', to help them create more easily. Between taking a few of those days to use New York, the location of the event as an inspiration, and a couple vacation days, he can swing the event without a problem. And to be honest, he's more than willing to take the time off to spend time with Tris and get a better understanding of her life.

"I would love to," Tobias confesses, using his fingers to push some of her blonde hair behind her ear.

She leans over to him, kissing his cheek softly, trailing kisses down to his jaw. "Good. Because I have to let them know next week, and I'm kind of nervous. It will be a lot easier with you there."

"Nervous?" he asks, even though her kisses are sending jolts through his body.

"Yeah. I haven't been to any events lately, because I started this new job with Christina and didn't feel right taking time off." She trails her kisses down to his neck, adjusting her body to give her a better angle and Tobias subconsciously tips his head back. "They'll probably be interested in what I've been up to."

"Yeah?" he asks breathily, slipping a hand under her shirt to rest on her hip.

She makes her way back up to his face. "I'm so excited to show them." She plants a firm kiss his mouth, slipping her hands under his shirt. "If that's ok with you."

He lets out a light laugh. "Am I ok with you telling the entire world that you're my girlfriend?"

Tris pushes his shirt up his stomach, her hands gliding over the define muscles in his chest and abdomen. "Yes."

He wraps his own hands around her, one finding itself a place on her ass, the other reaching a bit higher under her shirt. "Of course I am."

She finally reaches, pulling his shirt up, and he leans forward to let her pull it up over his head. "I always wondered what you'd look like naked," she blushes shyly.

She'd seen Tobias without a shirt in college. Sometimes, she'd be over when he was fresh out of the shower. During the summers, they'd occasionally gone to the pool or the beach, and she found herself admiring him in a way she'd never admired a man before.

"I've wondered the same, many times," he admits in response.

Tris has never been bold, sexually. She's preferred, very much, that the man take the lead. Partly because it's one area where she isn't always confident, and also because she's not very experienced. She'd been in her twenties when she'd lost her virginity, while most of her peers had lost it long before that. Even the men she'd dated had been shocked by her lack of experience, although somewhat understanding.

"Want to find out?" she boldly asks him. When he nods in response, eyes wide, she reaches down, pulling her shirt up over her head, and quickly unclasping her bra.

Tobias takes a moment to admire her, the way the curves of her body perfectly flow from one direction to the next, and the way her breasts, small, but firm, stand in front of him. When his eyes reach her face he can see the uncertainty in them, and he puts a hand on her chest while pulling her towards him.

"More beautiful than I could have imagined." He kisses her passionately, thinking of all the time they need to make up for the years they spent denying their feelings, the years they spent apart. He pulls her towards him, and she willingly lands in his lap, her long, slender legs straddling him, her hands cradling his face. When he feels her rolling her hips against him, closing the gap between their most heated places, he grips her waist tightly and uses his other arm to push up off the couch. She instinctively wraps her legs around her and he maneuvers around the coffee table and through the doorways until he reaches his bedroom.

He pauses at the doorway, pushing her up against the wall slightly, taking a moment to let his hands wander on her body. "Tris? Are you sure you want to do this?" He asks tentatively, not wanting her to have a regret about him.

"I want this… I want you… so bad," she says in between kisses she plants on his lips.

He kisses her back, easing her off of the wall and into this bedroom, where he makes his way to the bed and lays her down, gently. "I want to make love to you," he says as he pulls way, reaching for her pants.

She lets him slip them off of her, then reaches for his and shoves them down, and he stands up to kick them down. Tris reaches out for him, pulling him back down and wrapping her legs around his waist so he can't give them any distance.

He kisses down her neck and chest until he reaches her breasts, and she moans lightly, arching her back is response. He smiles against her, happy to know he's doing the right things to make her body respond. He reaches down for her underwear, pulling them off hastily before slipping his fingers between her legs, eliciting another moan from her. It's only a matter of moments before she's lifting her upper body in an attempt to reach down and free him from his own underwear, only managing to get them to his thighs before needing his assistance in kicking them down to his ankles and off to the side.

Tobias is throbbing himself, but trying to move slowly, to take his time and savor this moment with Tris. They've danced around this for weeks, shyly avoiding the topic and getting dangerously close on the nights they've spent the night together, but always stopping.

He's in her hand suddenly, and the feeling of her fingers wrapped around him makes his head collapse on her shoulder, his fingers moving along her just as needy. His mouth roams her body, kissing her wherever he can find skin, and her breathing is quickened, unable to handle the way he feels all over her body.

She moves so quickly she catches him off guard, pressing them together so flush that he can feel her wetness on him, and he kisses her before pulling away again, looking into her eyes. "Tris-" he begins, but she cuts him off.

"Shut up and make love to me."

A smirk crosses his face at her wording, and he pushes himself up and reaches over to his nightstand to grab a condom, easing it on himself while she lays back on the bed, watching him with anticipation.

And when it's on, he eases himself back down to her, kissing her fully with his lips as he puts the tip of him against her, easing in just a bit to see her reaction. She reaches down and squeezes his ass as if to beg for more, and he continues to push inside of her. The feeling consumes both of them, and Tris's mouth goes slack against his.

He feels her breath as she moans, and he rocks back and forth inside of her, unable to form words or sentences except a mumble of sounds that come out as, "Incredible."

She smiles at his comment, spreading her legs further to let him enter deeper, which causes a gasp when he finally hits the spot she wants. "Tobias…." She whispers softly.

He leans back, allowing himself to take in the sight of her. Her cheeks are red with excitement and her body is tense from the sensations running through it. He runs his fingers down to her core, rubbing them over the spot that he knows will only make her shudder more, and when she does, he pulls her body up against his to rest on his lap, his dick so deep inside of her Tris can barely open her eyes to meet his.

"I'm not going to last much longer," he finally admits.

She softly kisses his cheek as she pulls his chest flush to hers. "I'm going… to…." And she lets a deep moan escape her mouth before biting his shoulder to quiet herself, although Tobias doesn't mind either way. He buries his head in her neck as he releases, simultaneously saying amazing things about her body that Tris never thought anyone would use to describe her.

When they're both finished riding their orgasms out, they hold each other for a few moments while their breathing slows, their chests heaving against each other. She finally moves back so their faces are just inches apart, and her eyes look over his face, assessing his emotions.

Tobias still can't speak coherently, so he just mumbles against her lips. "So…. Good."

Tris giggles at his inability to make a sentence. "My toes are numb," she smiles against his cheek. "And that's _never_ happened before."

It's three weeks later when Tris strolls into Tobias's office around lunch time, a plastic bag with two Jimmy John's sandwiches inside. She'd kind of sprung this lunch on him, as she'd called him just a couple hours before and told him that she had something to give him, and wanted to come by on his lunch break. If it was an inconvenience, she insisted he tell her, but he was actually quite happy to get a surprise visit from Tris at work.

When they were out to dinner, walking through the city, or out with friends, Tobias noticed the way other men looked at Tris. Whether they knew who she was or not, they admired her body and did a double take when she breezed past them. And while she'd always been oblivious to how beautiful she was, Tobias was not. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel slightly cocky and very proud that he was the one slipping at arm around Tris's waist, planting kisses on her temple.

He's standing near Tori's office, talking with a co-worker named Matthew when Tris steps off the elevator, looking around to figure out what direction to go. Tobias raises his hand, hoping she'll see as she glances in his direction, and her face lights up at the sight of him. She walks towards him, relief and happiness on her face as she gets closer.

"Hey," she says casually.

He moves towards her, putting a hand on her back and kissing her head before turning towards Matthew. "Tris, this is Matthew. We work in the same department." Matthew nods a greeting and extends his hand. "Matthew, this is Tris, my girlfriend."

"Ah, the mystery girl makes her debut," he says with raised eyebrows. "It's very nice to meet you."

From the office, Tobias hears a yell. "Tobias! Is that Tris out there?!" Tori appears in the doorway to her office suddenly, clearly having rushed to the door.

"What the hell, were you going to leave me out of this little pow-wow?" she asks seriously, her eye brows raised in suspicion.

Tobias chuckles, and Tris stands frozen, uncertain about the exchange taking place in front of her.

"No, I wasn't, but Tris just asked me a couple hours ago if she could come by."

Tori nods at both of them before extending her hand. She's still leaning on the door frame, one arm hidden by it. "Tori. I supervise this knucklehead."

Tris accepts the handshake, gripping firmly. "You sure have a tough job," she jokes with a smile, and Tobias laughs, happy to see her getting along with his boss.

"I'm excited to see what he accomplishes while you guys are off on your business trip," Tori says with a smirk. She'd been so excited about Tris extending the invitation to Tobias, and their relationship becoming more official. "I'll be watching, looking for the two of you schmoozing in the stands."

Tobias turns red, slightly embarrassed. He had only told Tori about the reason they were going, but hadn't said anything like what she'd alluded to.

Much to his relief, Tris laughs at Tori, and glances at Tobias, tipping her head. "I think you should be more concerned about how I handle interviews. I'm sure after day one, there will be lots of questions about the handsome man with me."

It's Tobias's turn to chuckle, ignoring the quizzical look on Matthew's face. "Alright, alright. If we're done here, Tris and I are going to eat lunch."

Tori nods with a smile, and as he turns to his office, he takes her hand to lead her. He nods at a few people he passes, and when they get into his office, he shuts the door and gives her a long kiss, having missed the feeling of her lips in the past two days. Tris had been spending a bit of extra time at the gym to go over the choreography with the seniors, plus running around and getting the necessary things for their trip.

She takes in his office, the large, rich wood of his desk, which curves around, so he has a workspace on one side and a computer on the other. His credentials and awards hang on one wall, and on his desk is a single picture frame, with a photo of him and Tris. "Has this been here long?" she asks.

He shrugs. "A month or so. Shauna actually gave me the photo," he admits. "She took it on her phone."

"I put one up in my office," she shyly confesses. "But it's on a bulletin board, because I don't really have room on my desk for a frame.

Tobias takes the bag from her, moving some papers to make room on his desk. "Great minds think alike."

She settles into a seat across from him, sinking into the soft leather chair, and comfortably kicking off her tennis shoes to prop her feet up on the chair next to her. "So, I did come to spend lunch with you, but I also came for another reason."

He's unwrapped their sandwiches, pushing Tris's towards her and taking a bite of his own, appreciating that she stopped to pick them up and bring them to him. When he stayed the night at her house during the week, she'd even been packing him a lunch for work, and it was always a varying menu that was quite delicious, much better than he could pack for himself.

"Ulterior motive, huh?" he asks after she swallows.

She giggles. "A film crew is coming tonight to get some shots of the girls working out. That's why I'm off now, and will be at the gym a bit later than normal."

"That's ok. I'll have dinner at home and come by when you're done. What time are you thinking?"

Tris pauses, smiling nervously. "Well, that's the thing. You'll need this." She tosses over a small, thin, tan envelope, and it hits the table with a soft thud. "I'm not sure what time I'll be done, exactly. So dinner will be in the crock pot, waiting for you. You can head over there whenever you want."

Thinking he knows what's in the envelope now, he slowly chews the rest of his bite as reaches forward. He keeps his eyes on Tris as he peels it open and turns it over in his hand, waiting for something to land in it. And when he feels the hard, cool metal in his hand, he finally looks down. A key, presumably to her townhouse.

"I was hoping you'd want to be there whenever I get done."

The wide smile on his face is all she needs as a response. Tobias has never given anyone a key to his place, and he'd never received one from anyone either. The thought of someone else entering and leaving his home as they pleased was pretty discomforting for him, until Tris. He'd considered giving her a key when he'd gotten her a parking spot, but wasn't sure if that was rushing it, since they hadn't discussed their relationship yet.

"Are you showing me up, Prior? I give you a parking space, you give me a key?"

She looks back at him with a smirk. "No! This is just because I want to be able to be with you without you being inconvenienced. You can come over whether I'm off work or not, or stay in the mornings if I have to leave. I want you to feel just as at home as I do." She takes another bite of her sandwich to cover up her slight nerves, giddy that Tobias seems happy with her gesture.

"I'll get you one as soon as we get back," he replies, almost apologetically for not already doing so.

She shakes her head. "You don't have to do it just because I did. Whenever you're ready is fine."

"Tris, I was ready 6 years ago." The cool, relaxed smile he gives her makes her melt a little, and surprisingly, she feels herself thinking back to the way he'd touched her just a few mornings ago before they'd gotten out of bed. Tris had never been very physical in relationships, never been with a man she couldn't keep her hands off of. But with Tobias, she found herself thinking about touching him and feeling his body against hers almost daily.

It's not long before they've finished their sandwiches and she's sitting on his lap with the original intention of looking at his current projects, but for some reason, arching her back, her legs spread, so that she rubs against the slight buldge in his dress slacks. The friction is making her wet, and she's amazed and shocked by the way she's so boldly doing this somewhere other than a bedroom, especially his workplace.

"Fuck," he breathes behind her. "You better stop that shit," he warns, even though his fingers are snaking up her shirt until he reaches her nipple and rolls it between his fingers.

"Me? You're not giving me any motivation to stop." She feels his forehead drop against her back in surrender.

"Go lock the door," he says quietly, and she scurries over to lock it before returning to where she was, but Tobias stops her before she can sit. He's undoing his belt and pants, and pushing them down to his thighs when he pauses. "Tris? Do you have a condom?"

She's almost embarrassed to say yes, but she'd put a couple in her purse so they wouldn't forget them during their trip, unsure if Tobias would think about packing them. She pulls on out of the box and hands it to him, watching him unroll it onto himself before getting comfortable in the chair and pulling her back to him. He slips her shorts off down to her ankles and she kicks them off of one leg, allowing them to hang on her other ankle just in case they need to get dressed fast.

When he pulls her down and positions her over him, she uses the chair handles to steady herself as she eases down onto him. The angle and pressure of the position causes a fullness inside of her she's never felt, and he's in just the right spot without even moving.

"Are you ok?" he whispers over her shoulder. "You seem really tense."

She leans back into him slightly, arching her back so she feels him in the same spot. "I swear," she says softly. "I could get off… right now. Just from…this."

He smiles at the thought, knowing the fullness he gives her. "That's fucking hot, Tris." He nips at her ear slightly before continuing. "Let me feel it."

All she has to do is move her hips a little bit, a few times, before she's pulsating around him, heat growing inside of her. He brings his hand to her mouth to silence her as her face contorts with pleasure. His dick twitches as he watches her, and it's enough to make him want to come right then, but he holds off his desire. But then she leans back into him, pressing his length into her even deeper.

"Fuck me harder now."

His mouth drops open with surprise at the sexiest words he's heard from her, but he grabs her hips and does what he's told. He moves her down hard and quick, making sure to keep their movements quiet.

He pauses only for a moment to bring her ear to his lips. "Hard enough, baby?"

"Mmmm hmmmm," she mumbles, seemingly half coherent. "For now," she adds, and he can't take it anymore.

"'Come when I come. I'm…close."

She nods, eyes closed, and Tobias wonders if she even is aware of their surroundings. He brings his hand to mouth again to quiet her, and as soon as he feels her tighten around him, throwing her head back, he lets loose himself and releases into her.

Twenty minutes later she leaves, both of them still tingling from their experience and Tris's exit is followed quickly by Matthew's entrance.

"Dude!" he exclaims.

"Dude?" Tobias asks, eyebrows raised.

"I didn't know that Tris, was Tris Prior." His mouth hangs open and his eyes look like they could pop out of his head. "Jessica is like, obsessed with her."

Tobias laughs to himself at the thought of Matthew's wife obsessed with his girlfriend. "Yeah."

Suddenly, something dawns on Matthew. "You're the guy, aren't you?"

"Huh?" Tobias looks up from his desk, still trying to push the thought of what he and Tris just did out of his mind. Briefly, Tobias remembers Shauna referring to him as the mystery man, too. But at the time, he'd thought maybe she'd seen a photo from college or heard a rumor during her years there. He'd brushed it off, not asking for more detail.

"You've known her for years, right?" he double checks what he's heard from Tobias about Tris.

"Well, yeah, pretty much."

"Fuck… how did it go?" He's moving his hand in a circle, trying to recall the details to relay them to Tobias, but he shakes his head. "I can't remember. Let me call Jessica."

He steps into Tobias's office, reaching for his desk phone. "I swear, you'll want to hear this," he adds as he hits the numbers.

"Hey Jess… Yeah, it's me…. Hey, I need to ask you something, I'm with Tobias….. Yeah, let me put you on speaker." He hits the speaker button, dropping the phone back down to the receiver.

"Ok, now what was it that Tris Prior always used to say about a guy or a friend or something? Someone special?"

"Around the Olympics?" Tobias hears Jessica's voice on the other end. He's met her a handful of times at work functions, and several times he and Matthew have gotten together after work. Jessica did try to set him up with a friend of hers at one point, but they were a poor match and she'd felt bad that it didn't work out.

"Yeah. I remember you telling me about it and you were always curious who the guy was." Matthew keeps shaking his head, trying to remember the details.

"Oh yeah. She had this brief blog leading up the Olympics-"

Tobias cuts her off. "She had a blog?" He'd read everything he could find about Tris in the time leading up to the Olympics. "Where?"

"On the USA Gymnastics Website. I think they probably made her do it."

"Oh." Tobias had pretty much skipped over that website, thinking talk about Tris would be all technical and in a language he was unfamiliar with. He hadn't thought he'd find anything personal on there, so he'd skipped right over that link in his weekly Google search.

"Yeah. So she would always just say positive stuff about how excited she was and how training camp was going and the team and stuff, but she always, like in every entry, said she missed a really close friend that she had to leave behind. Fans would write in questions for her to answer and they'd ask if she had a boyfriend but she'd always just say that she was focusing on the Olympics, but there was someone really important to her. She even said one time that he filled a piece of her that had been broken since her parents died, or something romantic like that." Jessica pauses for a moment.

Matthew lets out a laugh. "Well, wait. She never said who he was?"

"Nope." They can hear Jessica sigh through the phone. "Some people speculated and even when I watched a couple tour shows, the people doing commentary were like, 'Oh, is Tris's special friend here today?' But it never seemed like it. And she stopped the blog when the games started... so no one ever really knew."

There's a break in the conversation as Tobias sits back in his desk chair, his hands at the back of his head, grinning from ear to ear. He feels beyond flattered that even though she'd left, and even though they seemed to be drifting apart at that time, he was still on Tris's mind. Maybe she was too nervous to tell him about the blog, because she was writing some private things on there that she hadn't even told him.

"Why are you asking me this? This is random."

Matthew has to hold back some laughter before he can respond, knowing Jessica will go crazy. "I'm sitting here with blog guy."

"What?! Who?! And how do you know it's him?" They can both picture her springing upright in her chair, demanding information.

"Jess. It's Tobias."

"Tobias?! Your co-worker, Tobias?! How?!" Her questions are then aimed at him instead of Matthew. "Do you still talk to her? Are you guys friends? Can I meet her?"

Tobias laughs, lifting his hands in defense even though Jessica can't see him. "Yes, yes, and yes, I'm sure, at some point."

"They lost touch, and just recently began rekindling their love affair," Matthew says dramatically. "And apparently, have begun having office sex too, because this place reeks of sex and Tris's cheeks were all red when she left."

Tobias, shocked at how observant Matthew had been, pegs him with a paper clip which Matthew waves off. "I won't tell anyone else, ok?"

"Well shit, good thing I didn't hook you up with anyone you liked, cause then you wouldn't be back with America's sweetheart." Jessica is still on the phone, seemingly ignoring the comment about sex, or still too in shock to care.

"America's sweetheart?" Tobias raises his eyebrows.

"Yeah, at least in gymnastics she is. I mean, think about it. Her parents died, her coach took her in, she becomes this world class athlete and wins a bunch of Olympic medals, including the all-around. That's like, _it_ , for gymnasts. And no one, no other gymnast or coach has ever said a bad thing about her. She's so…likable."

Tobias thinks about Tris, and how even though some of those things describe her, it's not her as a person. If the world got to see what he saw, every day, they might even be a little more in love with her than they apparently already are.

"Are you going to watch the American Cup this week?" he asks through the phone.

"Yeah, maybe, if I catch it."

"We're going to record it," Matthew interjects excitedly. "Cause I wanna see my man Tobias here, sitting next to America's sweetheart!"

"Oh my God, you're going!" Jessica sounds like a star struck teen, even though she hasn't met Tris. "I can't believe this. Just promise me I can meet her, once. I don't care if it's like, a lame work function or whatever. And I promise I won't act this stupid. I'll act normal."

Tobias enjoys the spastic behavior of Jessica and Matthew. While Matthew is an artist, Jessica works in a lab doing some sort of pharmaceutical work. Their behaviors are so similar, Tobias can only imagine what their every day conversations are like and how entertaining it could be to watch them.

Tobias and Matthew promise Jessica that they'll put something together soon, and Tobias is still feeling touched by the sentiments of Tris's blog, even if it was written years ago. He knows that Tris would think Jessica's admiration of her is unnecessary, even if common, so he confirms that they'll keep it a secret from Tris, as to not embarrass Jessica.

"Thanks man," Matthew says as he stands by the door to leave. "I really appreciate you doing that for me, and for Jess."

Tobias waves him off. "No big deal."

"Just for real, spray something in here, cause it smells like sex."


	5. Chapter 5

**Soo...here's the last chapter. I know it's a short story, so I apologize if it's unsatisfying. Hopefully it was still enjoyable. Thanks for reading :)**

The first day in New York for the American Cup is a breeze. Tris has a few run ins with the press and catches up with some old teammates, but nothing too exciting. Tobias spends most of time in the hotel room or wandering the city because Tris is tied up. The next day starts the women's competition, and although Tris is not allowed on the coaching floor, she has two seats near the floor for them.

Tris has to arrive early for an autograph session, so Tobias stands nearby with her publicist, David, chatting idly with him about hockey and Tris and nothing else in particular. He finds him to be a likeable guy, and he can see why Tris picked him to handle her affairs. He doesn't seem like a money hungry animal, but a down to Earth guy who gets why she's living life her way.

And even though Tris eventually has to end the session, she squeezes in as many autographs as she can before David drags her away and tells her she's got to find her seat before the competition starts. Tobias watches Christina's gymnasts compete, but he's more so mesmerized by Tris's reactions. She sits on the edge of her seat when she sees them take their turn in the rotation, and Tobias can hear her sighs of relief when they stick their landings.

She turns to him, eyeing him thoughtfully. "What?" she finally asks. "You've been starring at me more than the competition."

"You're more enjoyable to watch," he says from where he's leaned back in his chair.

She nudges him playfully, but he stops her by grabbing her arm, moving down until their fingers are linked together. "Is this ok?" he asks.

"Why wouldn't it be?" she questions.

"The whole world is going to know that you are taken, now. By me." He moves towards her a little, leaning forward in his seat.

"Oh yeah? Maybe it's more important for everyone to know that _you_ are taken." She smirks back at him before leaning in and giving him a lingering kiss on his lips. "Take that, camera crew."

Tobias leans in and puts an arm around her softly, giving her a quick kiss on her head before turning to his lounging position, this time with his hand on Tris's back, letting it rest there while they continue to watch the competition.. When the competition is over, she's able to get down to the locker room to congratulate the girls, while Tobias waits in the stands for her. That night, they take a cab to a restaurant that they'd been recommended by Tori, and she squeezes his hand as they wait to be seated.

"I promise, if you keep coming to things like this with me, you won't always have to wait around for me. I mean, you'll get used to it, and you'll get to know people." She puts her hands on his stomach, looking up at him. "Unless you hate this, and you never want to come with me again."

Tobias laughs and takes her hands in his. "I'm having a good time, I promise. I enjoy seeing this part of your life… the part that I missed." He continues quickly before she can react to that statement. "And I don't say that to be hurtful, I just mean that we have a lot to catch up on."

She breathes a sigh of relief as the waiter motions for them to follow, leading them to a table in the back of the restaurant. "Well, I'm glad, and I hope you're kind of enjoying yourself. I mean, as much as you can. So you won't leave me to take these trips all by myself."

"Tris, I'd go anywhere with you. You know that." He looks at her adoringly, admiring her beauty and her drive and all of the things he remembers seeing in her when they first met.

"Yeah?" She looks at him thoughtfully, putting her elbow on the table so she can rest her hand in her chin. "I'm going to hold you to that, Eaton."

He gives a simple smile back. "I hope so."

The second day of the competition is run a little different because it's event finals, and each event will only have 8 girls competing on it. The previous day, because it was the all around competition, each girl competed on every event. Today, Tris says, will be shorter for each event but longer day to the drawn out warm ups and medal ceremonies for each event. Tris does a meet and greet type of event, taking photos with fans and spectators in the lobby of the arena. The line moves slower than yesterday's, and Tobias admires the way Tris greets her fans and takes an interest in each of them, even holding the small toddlers so they can get a good picture with her.

A bit later, they're sitting and idly chatting, watching the warm ups when a man Tobias doesn't recognize approaches them, easing into the seat next to her that hasn't been filled yet. He's about their age, maybe a few years older, and skinny, like he doesn't work out. He carries a messenger bag slung across his body, and his jeans and T shirt keep him casual looking, even though Tobias is sure he has to be of some importance. "Hey, stranger," he says casually, and Tris's head snaps over at the familiar voice, her blonde hair flying along her back.

"Hey!" she says excitedly. "I didn't think you'd be here! How are you?" She reaches across to give him a hug, and when he reciprocates it, he sees Tobias behind her.

"Hey," she says turning towards Tobias. "This is Edward. He writes for Insider Gymnast. He does almost all the gymnast interviews."

"I do now, but I didn't, always," he says it bashfully, but reaches over to shake Tobias's hand.

"Edward, this is my boyfriend, Tobias."

"Ahhhhhh," Edward says with a sly smile. "Tobias, huh?" He eyes Tris, and Tobias can see her blushing.

"Don't you dare embarrass me," she snarks at him, pointing her finger.

"I would never, and you know that. But I am happy that you are here, with your mystery man." Edward's words are genuine, and Tris smiles at the thoughtfulness of his words. Edward had stumbled on the secret of Tris's relationship with Tobias, and while she'd begged him in the interview to not reveal what she'd just spilled out, she'd been skeptical of his promise not to. She was only 20, still looking for a shot in the Olympics two years away, and she couldn't bear the thought of no one taking her seriously, or her coach being worried that she was distracted. When the next issue of Insider Gymnast came out, she'd hastily read the article over and over, and sure enough, Edward had been true to his word. She had dug through her bag, finding his business card, called him, and thanked him endlessly.

He was only the low guy on the totem pole at the time at Insider Gymnast, and had only gotten to interview Tris because the senior journalist had gotten stuck in traffic on his way from the airport, flying in from a different event elsewhere. Lucky for Edward, his relationship with Tris became instrumental in his career, pushing him towards the top. Tris appreciated his confidence and his sincerity, so when questions about her family were coming from all sorts of directions, she'd hesitated only slightly before calling Edward and saying she needed to spill some details to relieve the pressure, and he was the only person she trusted to do it right. Edward had written an article that didn't vary at all from what Tris said about her parents and her brother, and she admired the words he used to describe her family. He'd written with such poise, grace, and respect that after that, she couldn't imagine not doing whatever else she could to help Edward with his career. She promised him he'd be the first person she'd talk to after the Olympics, the first interview. Tris started sending other gymnasts in his direction, telling him who else needed to get some spotlight or who would be the next big thing. When she could, she got him behind the scenes at events and meets. And soon enough, Edward was the most sought out journalist in the gymnastics world because not only did coaches, agents, and gymnasts appreciate him, but he had been endorsed and praised by Tris Prior, which was worth as much as an Olympic Gold in his world.

"Can I get a scoop on how you're doing these days?" Edward asks her this with hopeful, raised eyebrows.

"Yeah," she responds. "I'm doing well. I like doing choreography, and I like working with Christina. It's nice to be back with an old friend and teammate. And I… I'm happy," she says as she threads her hand into Tobias's, glancing at him with a smile.

"And you?" Edward asks as he leans over to see Tobias. "How do you feel about Tris being back in Chicago?"

Tobias's eyes don't leave Tris as he answers Edward. "I couldn't be happier. It was a very, very welcome surprise."

Edward's head pulls back a little, surprise on his face. "You didn't know she was coming? I thought…"

"No, I didn't," Tobias says with a shake of his head. "I just got lucky enough to run into her at the training center."

"What do you do? For work, I mean?"

"I work in marketing," he says simply, not offering any more details, even though Tris does.

"Tobias is an amazing artist," she gloats. "He works on the creative side of designing ads. And, he plays for the Indians. They're a-"

"An adult hockey team. I've heard of them. Quite a bit."

Tris looks over at Tobias, smiling proudly as she rubs a hand along his shoulder.

"Well, I am very happy for the two of you," Edward says as he reaches over to shake Tobias's hand. "I mean that, Tris."

Tris reaches to hug Edward. "I know. Thank you." She pauses before adding, "You know, if you're ever in Chicago, give me a call. I'm still here, you know."

After enjoying their evening in the city, which included a celebratory dinner with Will, Christina, and the team, Tris and Tobias walked the streets, taking in the city. Eventually, they retreated back to the comfort of their hotel room, having one more day left in their stay, which would be occupied by the men's competition finals. They are flying out the day after the competition ended, and while Tobias was thoroughly enjoying their trip, no place felt as wonderful as home.

Tris adjusts the large, fluffy down comforter on the bed before leaning back against the headboard again, next to Tobias. Their hotel, the most luxurious one Tobias had ever stayed in, had been beyond comfortable and given him a small glimpse into the life Tris had been living with her fame calling the shots.

The king size bed is more than accommodating for the two of them, but they sit side by side, Tris leaning slightly into Tobias's shoulder as he flips through the channels, stopping when he sees footage from the meet.

"Come on, we already saw this," she says as she nudges his leg.

Tobias blushes. "I just want to see how we look together. Is that ok?"

Tris smiles out of the corner of her eye. "Yeah, that's ok."

It's just another minute before they see the camera on the two of them in the stands, Tris watching the competition tensely while Tobias sits back, admiring her with the hand on her back.

"And I must say, this is a great site for gymnastics fans everywhere," the commentator says of seeing Tris. Then music begins to play, and Tobias recalls seeing brief stories about gymnasts in the middle of competitions before, mostly only paying attention to Tris's.

"Oh my gosh, I had no idea this was going to happen," she says softly with a shake of her head.

The image fades to Tris as a junior level gymnast, and the commentator begins talking again. "Tris Prior is one who understands sacrifice. Everyone in gymnastics knows her story. The loss of her family, being adopted by her coach. And after exploding into the spotlight during the Games in Beijing, at just 17, Tris Prior knew that she had to continue to sacrifice." The TV continues to cut to different images of Tris that correlate with the story the commentator is telling. "She signed with Divergent University, competing heavily for two and a half seasons before she decided that again, a sacrifice was needed to reach her goals. She left Divergent mid-season, withdrawing from school and moving back to her coach's house, training full time. Those who followed her closely knew from her blogs, from her interviews, that Tris left behind more than just a team and an opportunity, but perhaps, someone she loved."

"But her sacrifices paid off, and Tris came home from London with everything she'd worked for. The All-Around gold was hers." Tobias smiles proudly at the images of Tris at the Olympics, competing and on the podium, her gold medal hanging around her neck. And he remembers the text he'd gotten that night. 'I wish you were here.'

"We watched Tris, America's sweetheart, continue to compete for the next two years before injuries put her out of competition and she sacrificed, again, this time her career. The most accomplished gymnast in American history left the sport as a competitor, leaving nothing behind.

"Retirement was friendly to Tris, opportunities arriving from all directions. And we watched her explore and grow, this time, no longer the young teenager, but instead, a grown woman. Seeing her tonight is a privilege that we often don't get to enjoy in sports. America's golden girl, back as a choreographer and coach, continuing to give part of herself to American gymnastics however she can. And for once, we see a side of Tris that we hadn't been able to see before." The image flashes to video footage of her and Tobias, sitting in the arena together, affectionately looking at each other while he rubs her hand.

"Our little girl, has grown up," the commentator says with emotion. "And it appears, the relationship she once sacrificed, has a second chance. But this time, there's no more sacrificing for Tris Prior, and she seems to have won the gold in every area of her life."

When the story about Tris comes to an end and the TV begins to air footage from the competition, she shyly puts her head on his shoulder. "I didn't know they were doing that," she admits. "I'm… sorry if you weren't ok with that."

"Ok with that? Ok with NBC telling everyone that I'm dating 'America's Golden Girl'," he says as he quotes the announcer. Tris giggles at his use of the nickname, but Tobias continues. "I am beyond ok with the world knowing we're together." He slips an arm around her and pulls her closer, planting a kiss in her hair.

She looks up at him, kissing him softly. "I'm glad."

He nods, knowingly. "I am curious though," he says as he tips his head. "I've heard a few people refer to me as your mystery man, and I'm just… where did that come from?"

She sighs, tipping her head back against him. "It was hard, a lot harder than I thought it would be, to leave you. I tried to just hide it and keep it to myself and it was too much. It affected my performance and that's actually how I got to know Edward so well. I slipped, in an interview, and I mentioned you. I actually think my words were, 'It was so hard to walk away from love'. I couldn't believe I'd said it, but he promised he wouldn't write it, and he'd keep it a secret. And he did."

Tobias nods, know understanding the exchange between Edward and Tris a little better.

She continues on, her hand wandering to his leg under the blankets to play with the hem of his shorts. "It felt really good to talk about you though, and I didn't really want to confide in any of my teammates because I was supposed to be the leader. So, I started writing in my blog about you. I didn't really think anyone read it at the time, but I guess people did. I felt like it relieved some of my guilt or maybe it made me feel a little bit closer to you. I don't know."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks quietly. "You weren't saying those things to me."

Tris turns her body in the bed, so that now she's facing him, feet tucked up under her. "I just felt like, I didn't have the right. I left, and I couldn't ask you to sit there and wait for me."

"I would have," he says matter-of-factly.

"But it wouldn't have been fair," she says as shakes her head. "I couldn't have promised you an end to your waiting. And you deserved to move on, or find happiness, or do whatever you wanted."

"Tris-"

"I'm not trying to act guilty again, Tobias. I promise. I just... I want you to understand why sometimes I wasn't honest with you, but I am completely honest with you now."

Tobias nods as he brings a hand to her face, cradling it. "I get it," he whispers. "The only thing that matters now is that it's all worked out in the end."

Six months later, Tobias is aggressively skating around the ice while Tris sits in the stands on the edge of her seat. She almost bites her nails as nervousness takes over, until Tobias nears the goal and uses fluid arm movements to shoot the puck, scoring a goal with two seconds left in the game. Excited, Tris and Shauna both jump, screaming and cheering, and Tris's face grins in pride at Tobias's accomplishment. They've just won the season championship for the entire adult hockey league, which is all Tobias and Zeke have talked about lately.

Her long Indians sweatshirt hangs almost down to her thighs, her leggings hugging her legs down to her tennis shoes, and she'd dressed warm and comfortable, because she knew she'd be nervous for the game. Unable to sit still during every play off gaming leading up to this one, she'd realized what was at stake as Tobias talked every morning and evening about the game.

Which was more than Tris realized he'd thought about hockey, since they'd only moved in together four months ago, after Tobias's lease ran out at his apartment. Tris, having the bigger townhouse with more space for the two of them, had barely even had to ask him to move in before he was there. At first, it had been a little awkward to wind their schedules around each other. But Tobias's laid back attitude helped Tris to ease herself into his life and his days, wherever she fit comfortably.

She waits for him by the locker room after the game, standing excitedly next to Shauna near the wall. Tris enjoys watching a few reports and local sports writers hound Tobias, asking him questions and snapping photos while he grinned out of pride. Tobias didn't enjoy the spotlight, but he was so elated that in that moment he didn't care.

Eventually, they're able to make their way to a bar to celebrate. The large group takes up an entire section, filling up booths and pushing tables together, and Tris happily nestles next to Tobias at the end of a long table, their friends and Tobias's teammmates taking up the long sides and opposite end. They're a loud, rambunctious group of people because of their victory, but the restaurant is accommodating and excited to congratulate them.

After Tobias and Tris finish their meals, he orders them each another celebratory beer, his third and Tris's second, before leaning back on his arm, which is draped around the back of her chair. She sits upright, her back straight as always, but he notices the way her legs are turned towards him so their knees are always touching, and her fingers rest lightly on his leg. Tris's touches are often like that, so light that you barely notice them at times, but heavy enough to realize their absence when she's not around. He looks over at her as she breaks into a laugh at something Zeke has said, throwing her head back as she squeezes her eyes shut and her laughter echoes around him. He smiles as he takes in her beauty, the grace that she exuberates even when she's doing something as simple and natural as laughing.

Tobias knows that he wants to enjoy these moments with her for the rest of his life. It's not something that he just realized; he's known this since she walked back into his life, and maybe even longer. Maybe he's known it since she left. He slips his left hand back, into his inside jacket pocket where he's kept the small black box tucked away. He bought it weeks ago, but every time he tries to plan a moment to ask her he feels so inadequate, knowing that he can't create a moment more beautiful than Tris. But just recently he'd thought that Tris's life had been full of grand, over the top gestures and experiences, and this moment she'd probably prefer to be simple, intimate, and loving.

He fishes the small ring out of the box and hides it in his fist as he turns back to his seat. Tris, realizing his slight absence, leans her head towards him.

"What's got your attention?" she asks.

"You."

"Me? You just won the championship, and you're thinking about me?" She smiles at him, still not sure of how to take a compliment from him after all this time.

"You always have my attention, Tris." She blushes at his statement, but he keeps talking. "And lately I've been thinking about how nice it is to live with you, and let you hold my attention even more."

"You know, this isn't one sided. You're always on my mind, too," she says softly, as she leans over and gently kisses his cheek. "Especially tonight. You played amazing."

He looks down, eyeing her left hand. "Tris," he says quietly, almost so quiet he's unsure she can even hear him. He clears his throat, and forces his eyes to meet hers. "You captivated me when we were 18 years old. And you're going to have my attention for the rest of our lives."

Without hesitating, he reaches over for Tris's hands, finding her ring finger. "Tris… marry me," he whispers into her hear, and he can almost feel her cheeks heat up as she dips her head down and turns it towards him.

"Tobias," she breathes, fumbling with her words. "Of of of course! Yes! Of course I will marry you," she says softly. "Oh my god," she whispers again as she looks down at her finger, and then her eyes are back up on his.

"You're it for me, Tris. You're my home."

She pushes her head towards his, pressing her lips against him. "This.. me and you. It's the best thing that's ever happened. I promise you that."

Tobias doesn't hear the loud noises of the bar, the voices and laughs from his surrounding friends and teammates. All he can hear is the thump of his heart as he looks into Tris's eyes. There it is. There's his forever.


End file.
